Her Wings Set Her Free
by Kelly Quit Lollygagging
Summary: Perfect. Something without fault. Renesmee had the perfect friends. The perfect life. The perfect boyfriend. The word perfect seemed to fit her. But as we all know, perfection doesn't exist. Perfect can change with one person. Sequel. AH/RxJ Lemons
1. Preface

**Her Wings Set Her Free  
**  
Preface

He'd never meant to hurt me.

But, isn't that what always happens, from the moment you realize you love that person? Love would be unrecognizable without pain. I could never hate him the way I claimed. I could only thank him, for giving me what he had.

So even standing here now, with the crisp December air around me, with the reason his fault, I couldn't hate him. I realized now that I had always loved him, and I felt sorry for every time I had hurt him, surely as he was sorry that he had hurt me.

- - - - -  
"_& the ghosts of your past, insistently lurking behind your back, eloquently bound into memories—so infinite, just waiting for the perfect time to commence the attack." _- Checkyesjulia


	2. Chapter 1

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 1 - Dancing Queen

**Jacob's POV**

"Oh, God, that feels amazing," she moaned under me.

I chuckled and kissed the exposed skin of her neck, pushing my fingers farther into her sides. She laughed, but groaned at the same time.

"Your hands are magic, Jacob," she sighed.

I just smiled and trailed my fingers around her side to her back. I leaned down so my chest was touching her back. "Feeling better now, Renesmee?"

A blush colored her cheeks and she bit her lip. "Much."

I chuckled and rolled off of my sitting position from her lower back. She groaned and slowly pushed herself up so she could lie on her back. She scooted closer to me and rested her head in my lap, her arm thrown across my legs, tracing small circles on my thigh. I ran my fingers gently through her hair, loving the feeling of it, the perfect moment.

We didn't get a lot of time like this anymore, now that school had started again and we were both involved in our own things. But, neither one of us complained, we just relished in the few moments we had like this anymore.

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when there was a knock on the door.

Bella stuck her head in. "Ready to go?"

Nessie nodded and Bella left quietly.

She sighed and slowly pushed off the bed. She grabbed her duffel bag and threw her hair up in a messy bun and stuck her sunglasses on top of her head. She reached for the doorknob and was about to leave when I grabbed her wrist and pulled her on top of my lap.

"What were you saying?" I whispered and bit her ear playfully.

She giggled and smiled. She turned her upper body around and kissed me softly on the lips. "I was going to say that I'm leaving soon."

I chuckled and kissed her more deeply, cupping her face in my hands. She moaned in my mouth and then pushed away with a breathy 'no.' I gave her a peck on the lips and let her pull me up with her.

She threw her duffel bag over her shoulder and, still holding my hand, made her way out the door and down the stairs.

It was quiet until we reached the bottom. Then Jasmine let out a bellowing bark and Peyton a shriek. There was a 'shush' from Edward and Jasmine whined but was otherwise quiet. Peyton, however, kept going.

As we entered the kitchen, I saw her seated in her highchair, slices of banana in front of her. She picked up a piece in each of her hands and squeezed them until they were mush and then opened her hands and smacked then on the white tray in front of her, giggling and squealing, kicking her legs the whole time.

"Alright kid, you're done," Edward muttered, mostly to himself, and stood up. He pulled her expertly out of the chair and placed her perfectly on his hip, like she was meant to be there. He walked slowly to the sink, wary of Peyton's banana hands, and wiped them gently with a washcloth.

She clapped them happily and kicked her chubby legs. She put one pudgy finger out and touched the tip of Edward's hair, giggling as it tickled her. He smiled radiantly at her and left the room, kissing Nessie on the forehead as he passed.

I stared at Nessie, relishing in the fact that this amazing creature was as much mine as she could be for now. I grabbed her hips and pulled her to me, crushing her back to my front, not allowing any space between us, and burying my face in her copper curls, breathing in her tantalizing scent of vanilla and some other flower that I still had yet to place. She giggled and reached behind her to fist her hand in the hair on my neck.

I slowly brought my lips to her neck, gently kissing the spot below her earlobe and down to her shoulder. She sighed and relaxed a little more into me. I smiled and began to gently bite the soft skin. Her eyes flew open and she lurched away from me.

The expression on her face made me snicker, and she narrowed her eyes.

"We are not going there again," she said adamantly.

!#$#!

_Two months earlier; June 20 - Edward & Alice's birthday_

_The hottest day of the entire summer, a blistering 98 degrees, which was still 13 below the record for the state._

_Nessie and I sat under the white gazebo in Esme and Carlisle's backyard on the bench swing that dominated one of six sides. She sat as far away from me as she could, a little peeved, but mostly just too hot to be any closer. She shot me a glare just to remind me that it was my fault that she was so hot. I rolled my eyes. _

_She brushed her hair away from her face only to pull it tightly back again with another glare. I grinned, satisfied, as I caught sight of the love bite I made. _

"_I wouldn't be so smug, Jacob," she grumbled, which only made my grin grow._

_Her scowl deepened. "If I were you, I'd be more worried that my girlfriend was going to have a heat stroke."_

_I chuckled. "You didn't mind at all when I was giving you that lovely mark."_

"_Because, Jacob, it didn't hurt then. And I didn't know that my stupid family would want to come outside when it was 100 degrees."_

"_98," I said offhandedly, "and no one is stopping you from putting your hair up, or going in the water with them."_

"_You know exactly what is stopping me," she grumbled. _

"_That's your own fault," I said sourly, my good mood slipping. _

_She glowered and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring out at the water where her family played. _

_Nessie refused to show me any part of her skin that had any scar, even ones that her father didn't inflict. It frustrated me to no end, and made me curious as to whether or not she really trusted me. She always assured me that it had nothing to do with me at all, but more with herself. I seriously doubted that. _

_Without warning, water was suddenly poured over the both of our heads. Nessie shot out of her seat, a reflex reaction, and turned around to find Emmett doubled over in laughter. Water dripped from her hair, and made her already tight tank top tighter, and her short shorts stick to her like a second skin._

_She didn't have much choice now and was forced to slip out of her tank top, leaving on her shorts, and sighed as her hands began to gather her hair. I suppressed another victorious grin as I found my love bite. She sent me a pointed glare and turned it to Emmett as his laughter halted and his eyes grew wide before he guffawed._

"_Finally easing that sexual frustration?" he managed to get out between his laughs. _

_He rested his hands on his knees and started wheezing, grasping his stomach and dramatically falling to the ground. Nessie rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help the blush that rose in her cheeks, either. _

_Of course, because Emmett was never a quiet person, everyone heard. And I'll admit, I was a little frightened of the look on Edward's face. _

_That thought was quickly elapsed when I found that he, too, was laughing, but at least he was trying to hide it. Somewhat. _

_Nessie crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at the water on the wood of the gazebo. Alice, Rosalie, and Bella were soon at her side, inspecting the rather large mark. She threw me a pleading glance before they dragged her inside._

_Emmett eventually recovered himself and clapped me on the back as he sat next to me. Jasper sat on the floor against a beam, sipping contentedly at a beer. Edward leaned against a beam opposite me, his hands in his pockets. _

"_I'll admit it Black, I didn't think you had it in you," Emmett eventually said, almost…congratulatory?_

_I smiled despite myself, but swallowed thickly as I looked back to Edward. I noticed that the smile on his face was tight. _

"_I thought you'd be mad," I ventured with a tentative smile. _

_He chuckled without mirth. "Mad?" he shook his head, "I'm furious."_

_I dropped my gaze to the floor and realized that Emmett hadn't been laughing that I had done it, but the fact that Edward had remained so calm. I suddenly understood what he meant when he said, "I didn't think you had it in you."_

_Jasper chuckled, drawing all of our eyes to him. He lifted his beer to me. "You're a dead man, Black."_

_I closed my eyes and dropped my head into my hands._

!#$#!

Thinking back on it, it wasn't really so bad. Edward had remained calm -mostly. He had insisted that Nessie and I weren't to be left alone for the rest of the day. He had nothing against them other than the fact that he thought they were "trashy" and "degrading". I chuckled now, thinking about it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

She rolled her eyes, as if she knew what I was thinking and playfully smacked my chest. I caught her hand and placed a kiss on her palm. She lifted her hand to cup my cheek and placed a soft kiss on my lips as footsteps approached.

I tugged a loose strand of her hair when she pulled away and she stuck her tongue out at me. Edward was still carrying Peyton who was now fully dressed. She was shaking Edward's keys around, her eyes following the movements as they flashed in the light. Bella carried the brown and pink polka dotted diaper bag that happened to match the nursery.

Silently, we all filed out the front door. Edward and Bella walked to the Jeep, but I took Nessie's hand and pulled her to my truck. I laced our fingers together and pressed my forehead against hers. She leaned up on her tiptoes and her soft, warm lips met my own. I captured her bottom lip between mine and kissed her sweetly.

I was trying to get as much from her that I could because I wasn't going to see her for the rest of the day. Her and Julia had decided they were going to have a back-to-school sleepover this weekend. Nessie didn't tell me anything about it, but I may have overheard something about Tom Cruise in his underwear.

"I love you," she reminded me as she bit my bottom lip gently.

I kissed her deeply and then pulled away with one more chaste kiss. "I love you, too. Always and forever."

**Renesmee's POV**

Dismount.

And not just any dismount, but the Fontaine.

Uneven bars had never been my forte. It was getting down to the end, and it was now or never. I could nail the routine when doing a much easier dismount, but that was just easy points; where's the challenge in that? Granted, flying through the air and hoping that you landed on your feet was a little too much for anyone. But I had been practicing this for years. I didn't understand why I couldn't just do it already.

I took a deep breath and held it as I released the bar. I spun once before I realized I wasn't going to land this. I tucked my knees up to my chest and left gravity pull me down. I landed on the mat with a low _'thud'_, my knees and palms stinging from the sharp impact. I cursed under my breath as I slowly made it to my feet and flexed my tingling fingers.

My instructor, Mr. Schultz, sighed. "Cullen, that's enough for today. The last half hour is free for you."

I ignored him and made my way back to the low bar, disregarding the low murmurs of disapproval weaving through my crowd of peers.

"Cullen," he barked.

I jumped to grab the first bar, pointing my toes and swinging to gain momentum like I was supposed to.

"Renesmee, dismount right now," Mr. Schultz seethed.

I smirked and grabbed the high bar. Well, if he wanted me to dismount then I was going to dismount. I took a deep breath and held it again as I let go. I spun once, and then once the opposite way. Knees bent, absorb the impact in the balls of my feet, I opened my eyes and found that I was upright. I smiled and raised my arms high before running off the mat.

**Edward's POV**

Nessie ran out of the building, nearly skipping to the car, and let out a loud and victorious yell. She dropped her duffel bag by the rear of the car and did a cartwheel before climbing in the passenger seat, the biggest smile on her face.

I chuckled. "It went well?"

She nodded enthusiastically and buckled her seatbelt as I started the car. She turned her body towards me and flashed me that same smile. I quirked an eyebrow and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Am I supposed to guess?" I wondered after a minute of silence.

She rolled her eyes but her smile grew impossibly bigger.

"I finally fu-" she threw me a glance and changed her sentence, "-reaking landed it!"

"By 'it' I take it that you mean the bar dismount?" I asked, smiling.

She nodded happily and drummed her hands along the dashboard before gripping the headrest behind her.

"I've been trying to get it for _years_," she said, exasperated, "and I wasn't even supposed to be on bars anymore, and I finally land it. That's some crazy sh-tuff."

I shook my head as I turned down our street. "You need to get a new filter on that mouth there, Ness."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on dad. We all know that I swear; it's nothing new."

Of course I knew she swore. But that didn't me it didn't bother me. I sighed as I pulled in the driveway. She had been swearing, to my knowledge, since she was ten. Of course, after we talked about it, I learned that it was much longer than I could have ever imagined. It was often used as a defense mechanism.

!#$#!

_Nearly six years ago_

_A small, angry scream rippled through the silence of the house. My head snapped up from the newspaper that I was reading. As I listened, I heard murmurs of annoyance coming from Nessie's bedroom. _

_I stood slowly and crept quietly up the stairs, standing outside her room to hear what was wrong. _

"_Jasmine, why the hell did you do that?" she screeched. _

_My eyebrows shot up and I'm sure my jaw dropped. _Did I really just hear my ten year old say 'hell'? _As I listened closer to what she was saying, hell was forgotten as more words were used. I pushed her door open without thinking and found her standing over Jasmine, a ruined pair of Converse in her hands. _

_She turned her gaze to me and I could see the angry tears welling in her eyes. She flinched as our eyes met and I tried desperately to control my expression._

"_What did you say?" I asked, as calm as I could manage. _

_Her features clouded in confusion. "What?"_

"_I asked you what it was you said," I said through clenched teeth, crossing my arms over my chest._

_She turned her gaze back to Jasmine and narrowed her eyes. "I said, that was a very shitty thing to do."_

Please, God, don't let this be happening right now.

"_Nessie, why are you saying that?" I demanded._

"_Saying what?" she muttered, throwing her Converse to the ground and plopping down angrily on her bed._

"_That-that word," I said, hoping desperately she would understand before I pulled all of my hair out._

_Again, her face clouded with confusion. She picked at the stitching of her bedspread, contemplating what I had said before her eyes found their way back to mine._

"_Shit?" she wondered, her brow furrowed._

"_Yes, that, why are you saying it?" _

_She huffed. "You asked me what I was saying, and I told you!"_

"_I mean, why did you say it at all? That is not something that a ten-year-old should be saying," I explained as I sat on the edge of the bed._

_She shrugged. "I say it all the time."_

_I'm sure my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Why?"_

_She met my bewildered gaze with glistening chocolate eyes. "Because he told me to."_

!#$#!

She told me that when things started to get really bad, she would start cussing. And it would go one of two ways. One, he would find it hilarious and make her say it again, and inadvertently, he would stop hitting her. Or two, he would be so furious with her for saying those words that he would hit her harder. It was a gamble, but sometimes I'm sure it was a gamble that saved her life.

Nessie bounced out of the car and cart wheeled over to Cameron's house. She yelled both Julia's and Cameron's names in a sing-song voice at the top of her lungs before she burst through the front door. A glance to the driveway told me that at least Cameron's mom, Shaena, was home.

I grabbed Nessie's duffel bag from the back seat and trudged through the garage to the door. Jasmine shot out of the door, nearly knocking me on my ass; I cursed under my breath and slammed the door shut behind me.

I threw the duffel bag in the laundry room and followed the sound of laughter to the living room. Peyton was covered by her plush pink blanket, sitting in front of Bella. She reached her tiny hand out and pulled the blanket down, her face surprised, before she burst into a fit of giggles. I also noticed the clothes I had put on her earlier, were gone.

I sat down next to Bella and kissed her cheek. "What happened to the clothes she had on?"

She pointed to a pile of fabric by the coffee table. "They lasted about ten seconds when we walked in the door."

At the sound of our voices, Peyton turned her head towards us and smiled, her little bottom teeth sticking out. She clapped her hands, got on her hands and knees, and crawled over to us. I lifted her into my lap and kissed her forehead.

"Da!" she exclaimed, twisting her hands together and placing them on top of her head.

She jabbered on and pointed to Jasmine, who was now laying at the threshold of the house. Jasmine lifted her head and looked behind her, to the front door, which suddenly flew open. It startled all of us, but Peyton the most, whose face puckered and eyes welled up with tears. When she saw who it was though, she quickly stopped.

Julia and Ness practically fell through the front door. Well, Julia did trip over Jasmine, but caught herself with Nessie's arm. Nessie held her stomach with one arm and Julia's shoulder with the other.

"Ow, ow, ow," she gasped as they stumbled through the room to the stairs.

Peyton squealed to bring the attention back to her, then clapped and giggled with the girls.

Halfway up the stairs, Nessie turned back to me, her face flushed and eyes watery, but one of the happiest smiles I had ever seen on her face. Aside from when she was with Jacob.

"D-Don't let Cameron in," she said before they both burst into another round of laughter, and then disappeared into her bedroom.

I exchanged a look with Bella and stifled a laugh when there was a knock at the door. I handed Peyton over to her and opened the door. Cameron stood on the doorstep, soaking wet with some sort of neon stringy goo in his hair.

I cracked a smile. "Cam, you got a little something in your hair."

He clenched his jaw. "Thank you, I'm aware. Where are they?"

"Julia and Nessie?" I asked, with a raised eyebrow, "I'm under strict orders not to let you in the house. Sorry."

"Dammit," he muttered before trudging down the steps and back into his own house.

I laughed when I saw that his car was covered in the same neon string, which I then realized was silly string.

"Victory is ours!" Julia yelled. I turned around to see them doing some sort of handshake at the top of the steps. They let out a victorious yell and then went back into Nessie's room, the music on instantly.

**Renesmee's POV**

Of course Julia made a play list for tonight. _When would she ever not? _I wondered as **Forever Young **by **Rod Stewart **flowed through my room.

"Let's do something," she said excitedly as she sat down next to me on my bed.

"Like what?" I wondered. Two hours into the sleepover and we had already done everything we always did at sleepovers. We walked up to Speedway for giant slushies, we gathered all of the junk food we could find and ate as though we would never eat again. We gossiped - mostly about our boyfriends, sometimes about the rumors going around school that some girl was pregnant. We just talked about everything and anything. And, of course, we listened to music.

"Let's watch a movie!" she decided, clapped her hands once and jumped off of my bed and out of my room. I had to remind her to be quiet because Peyton was sleeping, not that she'd ever wake up - the girl could sleep through World War III.

She pulled out _13 Going On 30_. I set it up and grabbed some more junk food. Bella came in and sat down with us as the opening credits rolled across the screen. I didn't expect it, but we all got so wrapped up in the movie that Edward's voice scared us all.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, holding his hands up.

I put my hand over my chest and took a deep breath. Julia leaned over to me and muttered, "Now you know how I feel. All the time."

I stared at her in confusion before I cracked up yet again. Bella shook her head at us, but I didn't miss the smug smile either.

"I'm going to the store," Edward repeated, "do you need anything?"

Julia and I exchanged a glance. "Ice cream!" we sang.

He rolled his eyes. "Right, because I'm going to give you two ice cream."

We both pulled the puppy dog eyes and he gave in with a sigh. "Alright, alright."

"I'm coming!" Bella called as Edward disappeared into the kitchen.

"That's what she said," I muttered before I even realized I had thought it. Julia choked on a popcorn kernel.

When they had finally left, and the house was quiet save for the movie, I turned to Julia with a smile.

She stopped the popcorn halfway to her mouth and looked at me warily. "What?"

"I've got a plan."

!#$#!

"Shh!" I hissed as Julia tripped and nearly face-planted.

She shook herself off and regained her balance, grabbing her end of the ladder again. I was just surprised that she was even doing it at all. I thought for sure that she would be totally against duct-taping her boyfriend's window shut, but I guess you can never be too sure when it comes to Julia.

We kept guard, and waited until Cameron wasn't on the roof anymore and his room was dark before we left. I stuffed the baby monitor in the waistband of my shorts in case Peyton woke up. We moved deftly through the twilight, giggling every so often at what we were doing.

"You know he's going to shit a brick when he can't get out of the window, right?" Julia asked quietly as we set up the ladder.

I laughed at her use of that phrase - something that never failed to make me smile - and shrugged. "I know, but it's fun messing with him."

She sighed, but nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it is."

I gave her a wicked grin and climbed the ladder with the roll of duct-tape around my wrist. I climbed onto the protruding roof under Cameron's window, the one where he sat and played guitar, and began to tear pieces off with my teeth.

When one side of the window was completely covered in duct tape, the light flicked on and Cameron met my scared face with his own confused eyes. I ripped off the tape that was on my mouth just as he made it over to the window and managed to yank it open with some force.

"Shit!" Julia squeaked as I quickly made my descent.

"What the hell you two?" Cameron demanded, though there was a hint of a smile playing around his lips.

I jumped from mid-way down the ladder, landing skillfully on my feet.

"You were supposed to keep lookout!" I hissed at Julia as we knocked the ladder over. We didn't bother to move it, as Cameron was already making his way downstairs and to us.

"I'm sorry I don't have X-ray vision, and can't see through walls," she said sarcastically as we sprinted back to my house.

We made it back to the garage and nearly to the door when headlights swept over us, making us both scream. The lights and engine died and we met the faces of two confused, but humored faces. That was when I noticed Cameron at the mouth of the garage.

I ran and hid behind him, turning him to face Cameron. "Daddy, save me."

I grabbed Julia and pulled her behind me; she had no problems getting close to Edward.

I could almost hear him roll his eyes. "What did you two do now?"

"They taped my window shut," Cameron said with a victorious grin.

"Did not!" I shouted, "You got out, didn't you?"

Cameron rolled his eyes and took a step toward us. "Yes, but-"

"But nothing!" I interrupted him and took Julia's hand, running back inside.

We both collapsed on my bedroom floor in laughter. I realized that we had forgotten to turn off the music, and how ironic was it that the song playing was _Girls Just Want to Have Fun_? I uncurled myself from the strange position I had managed to find and stood up to scroll through the songs. One of them caught my eye and my mind already worked out the details before I was running out of the room, towards my parents'.

"What are you doing?" Julia called after me, but I ignored her and pulled open the closet. I found two white button up shirts and hung them over my arm before running back to my room, throwing anxious glances over my shoulder. I tossed one to her before ripping my shirt over my head and buttoning up Edward's over my camisole.

"What the hell is this for?" she asked in confusion.

I rolled my eyes. "Just put the damn thing on."

She shrugged and buttoned it over herself. I pulled out two pairs of my socks and threw one to her and put the other on myself. We didn't have boxers, but I was wearing a pair of Soffe shorts and luckily, so was she.

I skipped over to her iPod and pressed pause before I found the song that I wanted. I turned to her with a huge smile and grabbed the remote for the dock as I walked into the hallway, gesturing for her to follow.

"I've always wanted to do this," I admitted as I pressed play.

Her eyes lit up as I ran and then slid into my bedroom - noticing Edward coming up the stairs - the way that Tom Cruise does in _Risky Business _to _Old Time Rock & Roll_.

Julia did the same thing, running and sliding into my bedroom, but as I've said before, she was never a graceful one. She tripped over something and flew into me, sending us both to the ground in near hysterics. I pushed her off of me and hugged my stomach as my laughs turned to gasps.

"Should I ask?" Edward wondered from the doorway.

Julia and I looked at each other's red faces before we both stuttered out a 'no.'

He shrugged, threw us one more glance and then walked into his room. I propped my head up on in my hand and ran the other hand through my hair. The day had been great but somehow still felt…incomplete. My brow furrowed as I wondered what it was that was missing from a near-perfect day.

!#$#!

"But it's freezing," Julia whined as I grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch.

"So grab a hoodie and stop your bitching."

I grabbed the containers of ice cream that Edward had bought us out of the freezer and grabbed a hoodie for myself, along with two spoons.

Jasmine trotted out ahead of us, wandering down the beach. I walked to the fire pit near the peer and laid the blanket out before sitting down. The night was perfect and cloudless, not nearly as cold as I would have thought for September.

We each grabbed our Ben & Jerry's ice cream and a spoon and wordlessly enjoyed the night. I loved that about Julia - there was a never a time when I needed to fill space with stupid, meaningless words.

"Finally."

Neither of us expected the voice. I jumped while Julia shrieked and then we both looked up to find Cameron sauntering towards us.

I groaned. "What are you doing here? Didn't Julia tell you? It's a girl's only night."

He raised an eyebrow, daring me to make him leave, and sat down next to Julia, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him.

We lapsed into silence again, only the sounds of the waves, the crackling fire, and our breathing. My phone buzzed, and I shot a confused look at Julia because I didn't remember bringing it with me. I shrugged and looked at the screen: _One new text message _it read, and under that, Jacob's name.

_Hi honey. I know you wanted a girl's night, but I just had to tell you how much I missed you. I thought about you all day today; it was sort of ridiculous. I can't wait to see you again tomorrow. Sweet dreams Renesmee, I love you._

I didn't text him back, how could I? But I knew that wherever he was right now, at least he was as wrapped up in me as I was in him in this moment.

**A/N: **_…well? It took a long time and I apologize, I didn't expect to have such a hard time finding words. I hope you liked and will be staying around for the rest of it. Don't worry, it won't all be fluff (: have you ever known me to not have drama? I didn't think so. So, love it, hate it, suggestions, critiques, I'm always waiting. Please review, they make me happy and write faster.  
Love you all  
Kelly  
P.S. the play list that I mentioned earlier is on my profile thanks to __**Check Yes Julia**__, and yes, the real Julia does say "shit a brick" and yes, it does make me laugh. Always._


	3. Chapter 2

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 2 - Young Forever

**Renesmee's POV**

I slammed the door on Edward's recently acquired Volvo and waved goodbye as they drove down the street.

Jacob's house was small, but cute. It had a certain charm to it that made me feel at home whenever I was there. It was entirely quiet, too. Well, except for Zeus barking through the window in the living room. Jacob's dad, "Call me Billy", poked his head around to look at me, throwing a casual smile and wave.

I wrapped my arms around myself, totally unsure what the hell I was thinking when I got dressed this morning. True, it was a family day, and that included some form of water. _But did that necessitate me to wear board shorts, bikini top, and skintight tank? Was I even ready for Jacob to see all of me? _I sighed and ran my fingers through my curls. Okay, so true, at some point, I would have to show him. When our…physical relationship was ready. But was that now? _Well, hell no, of course not. I wasn't going to have sex with him…yet. _

I groaned and trudged up the driveway. It made no sense to go back on it now; there was nothing that I could do. Unless I wanted to change into his clothes and face the wrath of Alice and Rosalie…. I shook my head clear of the thought. That was worse.

Zeus plowed through the side door just as I closed the chain link fence behind me. Jacob didn't move from his position, lying under an unfamiliar black car.

"Zeus, shut the hell up," it sounded like he muttered followed by a grunt.

I smirked and walked slowly to where he was, careful not to make my flip-flops hit my feet. I stood over him and slowly lowered myself until I was an inch from his lap. He grunted and shifted his body, his thigh hitting mine; stopping him and making me collapse on top of him.

He slowly rolled out from the car, his face a mixture of shock and…pleasure? I couldn't be sure. I wiggled my fingers at him as I bit my lip. He smirked at me as he wiped his fingers on a nearby rag and then grabbed my face and brought it down to his. His lips were soft but urgent, passionately melting to my own as if we were meant to be together in this way.

He fingered the bottom of my tank as he pulled away.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Were you planning on getting dressed today? Not that I mind, but I'm not in the mood to fight a bunch of guys off today. I'd rather spend it with you."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide my blush. "Ha ha. You're funny Jacob; a real comedian."

His fingers moved to the hem of my shorts, and again, the eyebrow went up. "These are a little shorter than what I'm used to…."

I bit my lip nervously and looked away from his probing gaze. Only Jacob would see something strange in me wearing shorts. I guess in that context though, it was.

He traced from my collarbone to the back of my neck before he slowly brought my lips back down to his. It was gentle, sweet. All urgency from earlier was gone. He cradled my face in his rough hands and leaned my forehead against his. All I could feel were the butterflies and the strange jolt of electricity, just like always; I smiled.

My smile slipped to a frown when I noticed that he was nowhere near ready to go.

I put my hands on my hips. "What about you? Were you planning on getting dressed today?"

I ran my hands through his hair and grimaced as little flecks of rust and dirt from under the car fell. I raked my fingers down his white t-shirt covered chest.

He shook his head and closed his eyes before he suddenly grabbed my hips and switched our positions so he was on top. I gulped. He smirked and kissed my nose before standing up and helping me up as well. I barely managed a scowl at him - it was too hard to stay mad with him - before linking my fingers with his and following him into his house.

"Hi Billy," I said happily, with a smile, as we passed him in the living room.

"Hey Nessie, Jake. Keep it down in there kids, my show's on," he called after us.

I blushed furiously and crossed my arms tight over my chest. Jacob chuckled at my expression as he rooted around in his drawer for clothes. I kicked my flip-flops off and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Jacob grabbed my face before he left and kissed my forehead. "Honey, he was kidding."

I huffed and looked away, but not before I saw his amused smirk. I stuck my tongue out at him. He yanked my ponytail before he ran out of the room laughing, locking the bathroom door behind him.

I sat for a second, listening to the sounds of the water running before pacing around his room. I noticed little things that I had left. A few hair ties, a pair of socks, a chewed pen or pencil from studying, a necklace or bracelet. Or something big, like a shirt or hoodie that he threw over the back of his chair.

Then my eyes caught something white and reflective and I gasped. "Hey!"

My aviators. I had been looking everywhere for them and went as far as accusing Cameron of taking them after the pranks Julia and I had done to him last weekend. I slipped them on and made my most attractive fish face as I turned around to the footsteps behind me.

My jaw dropped. Oh. Fuck. Me. His hair was gleaming in the light. Fucking _gleaming._ His chest was bare and when he ran the towel through his hair, his abs rippled. He smirked at my obvious staring and walked towards me. _When the hell did he get sex hips and why was I unaware of this?_ _And the happy trail, oh _God_, the happy trail. _

I drew in a shuddering breath as he closed the last few inches of space. His chest touched mine and it felt as though my body had combusted. His lips found my neck and began biting and sucking in an inappropriate way. _Why wasn't he allowed to do that? _I couldn't remember. The only thing holding me up was his hands on my waist; my legs turned to jello at the sight of him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and craned mine away from him to allow better access. My fingers twined through the hair on the nape of his neck and pulled him roughly, ever closer to me. I didn't realize we were falling until my back hit the bed.

He kissed up from my neck, peppering kisses along my jaw now. His arms were on either side of me, creating a prison. _That's fine by me…._ He slipped the sunglasses off my face and his eyes, darkened with passion, met mine.

I'm sure we would have kept going. There were no restraints there, in that moment. But, my cell phone rang. I nearly flew off the bed from the shock of it. Jacob looked severely disappointed and I tried to keep my eyes above his waist as he grabbed a shirt, threw me a smile, and disappeared into the bathroom once again.

I sat up and straightened my clothes and hair before pulling out my cell phone. I groaned at the word 'Dad' flashing on the screen.

I took a deep breath and breathed out, "Hello?"

There was silence and then a hushed, "Are you okay?"

I rolled my eyes and took one more deep breath. "I'm fine. Why?"

"You sound a little…strained," he murmured.

I sighed and stammered, "I'm, uh, frustrated. Now, what was it you wanted?"

"There's been a slight change in today's plans. Instead of the normal spot we're meeting at Alice and Jasper's," he explained.

I furrowed my brow and ran my finger across my Tiffany necklace. "Why?"

There was a sigh. "You know you're aunt. She says her hair is not for the public eye today, and no one dares argue with Alice. But their pool is open and so is the development pool."

I shrugged before I remembered he couldn't see me. "Whatever. We'll see you soon."

"Be careful. Love you Nessie," he reminded me.

"Love you too," I breathed.

"Your other boyfriend?" Jacob breathed in my ear.

I jumped, throwing my phone across the room, my hand flying to my heart. Jacob smirked and retrieved my phone.

I scowled at him. "That was so not funny. You could've given me a heart attack!"

His smile fell. "Seriously?"

I shook my head and snatched my phone back. "No, not _seriously._ And it was my dad. We're now going to Alice and Jasper's instead of the beach."

He shrugged and sat on the edge of his bed, pulling out a pair of black Adidas. He slipped on black ankle socks and then his shoes. He opened his bedside table drawer and grabbed a set of keys that didn't belong to his truck.

I furrowed my brow and fingered the key that hung from his finger. "What are these to?"

Jacob smiled brightly. "You'll see."

He grabbed my hand and literally dragged me out of his room. He explained to his dad where we were going to be, that he would be back later, and to call if he needed anything at all. I loved that sweet and caring side of Jacob. He patted Zeus on the head as we passed him out the side door and then opened the door to the unfamiliar car for me to get in.

"What about the truck?" I wondered.

He shook his head with a smile. "Nope, today is a judge day."

He closed my door and opened the gate as I thought over what he said. _A judge day? What does that even mean?_

He ran back to the car and stuck the key in the ignition. With a slight twist, the car purred to life. Jacob smiled brilliantly and rested his head on the headrest for a moment. Then he slowly eased the car into first and maneuvered it through the gate. He jumped out, closed the gate, and jumped back in. He reached for the gearshift but stopped and turned to me, who sat leaning against the door, my knees drawn up to my chest.

"Do you have your temps on you?" he wondered.

I patted my pocket and nodded slowly, "Yeah."

He smiled. "You want to drive?"

My eyes widened. "_This_? No way; not only would I kill the car, I'd kill us too."

He shook his head with a roll of his eyes and then smirked. "Have some faith, baby girl."

I scowled; I hated that nickname, and he knew it. Then, without warning, he pulled me from my spot and on top of his lap. He groaned, leaning his head back, and slowly slid out from under me.

"Jacob," I whispered, not feeling the way he did at all, but terrified, "I've never driven stick before."

He closed his eyes and continued to lean his head back. "Then this will be a learning experience for you."

I glared at him, but my fear seeped through. Jacob opened his eyes and sighed, running a hand through his hair. He put a finger under my chin and pulled my lips to his sweetly.

"You can do it," he whispered and kissed my forehead.

I blew out an uneven breath and nodded my head; I could do it.

He smiled. "Take your foot off the brake, put it on the clutch," he instructed and I did so, "good, now put it in first and slowly ease off the clutch and press down on the gas."

I did as he said, but the car lurched forward, sputtered and stalled. I buried my head in my hands, a mortified blush creeping up, and didn't move.

"It's okay, you took your foot off the clutch too fast," Jacob explained as he turned the car on again, "try again."

I peeked at him through my fingers and bit my lip.

He groaned. "We're not playing hide and seek now."

I giggled at the look on his face, earning a glare in return. I took a deep breath, focusing again, and did as I was told to do. This time the car smoothly moved forward, purring, as I pushed down farther on the gas.

I turned to Jacob with a brilliant smile. "I did it!"

He smiled back, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back. "I knew you could."

"Don't close your eyes!" I screeched, panicked.

He opened one eye to look at me and chuckled at the look on my face. "You'll be fine. You know where we're going."

I huffed but continued moving.

We drove in silence for a while until I noticed the car starting to make a grinding sound.

"Jacob," I whispered in panic, "I told you I was going to break the car."

He chuckled. "You didn't break the car; you just need to move it into second. Keep your foot on the gas, other on the clutch, put it in second, and ease off the clutch slowly."

I bit my lip, did as I was told, and beamed when the car transitioned smoothly.

"Oh!" Jacob gasped suddenly, causing me to jump. I glared at him but he only laughed.

"I almost forgot," he said, mostly to himself, as he pulled a cassette tape out of the glove compartment.

He pushed the tape in and I smiled as **Jessie's Girl **by **Rick Springfield **came through the speakers.

"_And she's watching him with those eyes, and she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it_," I sang, watching Jacob shake his head beside me.

"That is entirely unfair," he muttered.

We pulled into Alice and Jasper's driveway, behind Emmett's Jeep and Jacob turned to me.

"_You know, I feel so dirty when they start talking cute. I wanna tell her that I love her, but the point is probably moot_," he sang back to me, his eyes scrunched up tight.

I giggled at his theatrics and finished the verse, "_'Cos she's watching him with those eyes, and she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it, and he's holding her in his arms late, late at night._"

Jacob brought my lips to his and whispered, "You know that I love my Nessie girl."

I threw my head back and laughed. "That was so cheesy."

"You loved it," he teased with another kiss.

"I love you," I reminded him and returned the kiss.

Our kiss was interrupted by a squeal from Auden as she ran around the car, being chased by Jordan. And, of course, Emmett.

"Guys? I can't see you; it's a little steamy in there," he said dramatically, cupping his eyes to see more clearly.

Jacob reached over and pulled the keys out of the ignition, effectively ending the music and the moment, and then stepped out of the car. I reached for my own and my hand met empty air. Turning, I met Jacob's sparkling eyes.

"Thank you," I said sweetly with a peck on the lips, and, of course, a blush.

He chuckled and took my hand.

Emmett took the back of Jacob's neck and gave him a little shake. "How the hell are ya, kid?"

Jacob smirked and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm great, Em. Thanks."

"So, I gotta know, because you know Rose will be all over my dick - not that I mind about that -," we groaned, "but how the hell did you get a 1969 GTO Judge?"

"That's what that thing is?" I asked, jerking my thumb over my shoulder at the sleek black car.

Jacob groaned. "Baby, that 'thing' is a car that every man wants to drive, let alone own."

"The car's a classic, Ness," Emmett continued, "only 6,833 were made, with a V-8 engine, horsepower of 370 at 5,500 rpm, and can go from 0-60 in 6.2 seconds."

I stared at him blankly. He shook his head and grabbed my face. "You need a serious crash course in cars, my dear one. I would've thought you would know everything about the car if Jake would let you drive it. Speaking of which," his eyes sparkled, "that is highly illegal and if you don't want me to spill the beans, you need to let me drive that car."

Jacob laughed. "Well, Emmett, I don't know what beans there are to spill because everyone's been watching from the upstairs window," he turned and waved, gaining a few sheepish waves in return, "but you can still drive the car."

Jacob dropped the keys in Emmett's hand and Emmett grabbed Jacob's face and planted a kiss on his forehead. He looked like a kid in a candy store as he pushed us aside, jumped in the car, and peeled out of the driveway.

I shook my head, but regained Jacob's hand and led him inside. Rose was sitting on the loveseat in the living room with Camden in her lap, eating, of course, and rocking Cadence in her car seat on the floor with the toe of her shoe.

Camden Nicholas and Cadence Nicole Cullen were born on May 31, just minutes from midnight, right on time. Camden was a healthy 7 lbs. 13 oz and 19 inches long, while Cadence was 6 lbs. 8 oz and 18 inches long. The doctor was pleased, to say the least, to deliver such healthy twins. Emmett was just happy to have 'mini me's as he liked to call them. Both were born with Rosalie's gorgeous blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, but took to Emmett, in Camden's case, in body structure and appetite. Cadence was bound to be her mother, but had her father's happy demeanor. Even at four months old, their personalities were defined, and to Rosalie's delight, they really were mini Emmetts. When we question the name choices they explained that Camden was Emmett's favorite, Cadence Rosalie's and then they picked middle names for the opposite name. It really wasn't on purpose.

Rosalie smiled at me and nodded her head towards Cadence. "Would you like to hold her?"

I beamed and bent down to pick her up. She rubbed her nose as I picked her up and smiled brightly. I kissed her nose and sat her on my hip. She immediately reached her hand out for the hair on my shoulder, but I quickly moved it away. She fisted the strap on my shirt in her hand and squealed, digging her toes into the waistband of my shorts and pushing up.

Jacob chuckled and took her from me. He lifted her above his head and spun around, eliciting a giggle from her and an even bigger smile from him. I smiled at the two of them and felt a sort of pang in my chest that I couldn't make him that happy.

"Don't you be thinking what I think you're thinking," Rosalie muttered as she brought Camden up to burp him.

"What?" I asked, turning back to her.

"I see the way you're looking at him. It's the same way I looked at Emmett before we got pregnant, every time I saw him with a kid. Not only was it a major turn on, but it hurts to know that you can't give him that happiness on your own. I know how you feel sweetheart, but you have the rest of your life to see that," she finished just as Camden burped and she sat him on her lap, fixing his shirt.

I opened my mouth to uselessly defend myself when I heard a crash in the kitchen. Rosalie, Jacob, and I exchanged glances before quickly making our way in there. Peyton had managed to pull out a stack of pots and now had them scattered around where she sat on the floor. She picked up a small one, held it up, and let it fall. It startled both of the babies and Peyton, whose face crumpled and began crying, lifting her hands up for me.

I lifted her into my arms and pulled her blanket off the back of the chair by the island. Her thumb immediately went into her mouth and she hefted a sigh as she laid her head on my shoulder. I rubbed her back and gently swayed her from side to side.

"What's wrong?" Edward demanded, coming into the kitchen from the bathroom.

"She's fine Edward, she just scared herself," Rosalie explained, bouncing a fidgeting Camden.

Peyton turned at the sound of his voice and held out the hand that wasn't in her mouth, fisting and unfisting. "Da."

Edward smiled at her and took her into his arms, kissing her forehead. Her thumb went back into her mouth, her head on his shoulder, her eyes drifting shut. Edward hummed to her quietly as he exited the room swaying her softly. It was then that I noticed Camden and Cadence had fallen asleep as well.

!#$#!

"Bebe," Peyton said quietly, crawling closer to a sleeping Cadence.

"Baby," Bella repeated, sipping at a Long Island Iced Tea.

"So Bella, what's the plan for next weekend?" Alice asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement.

I perked up. Next weekend was my, to me, secret Sweet 16. I didn't know a single detail.

"We're going North," she smiled, with a wink.

Alice squealed. "To the…?"

Bella nodded. "Exactly."

"Ugh," I groaned, throwing my head back on Jacob's chest. He chuckled and rubbed my arm.

Rosalie walked in the door then. "Wow, is all I can say. Jacob, that car…." She trailed off, shaking her head.

He smirked smugly. "I know."

"Bebe!" Peyton squealed, lifting a hand.

"Peyton, no," Bella said firmly.

Peyton looked at her with innocence and Bella gave her her favorite baby doll.

"Bebe," she said yet again and hit the baby's head against the floor before crawling across the room, dragging the baby by it's foot.

I sighed and stood up, pulling Jacob up as well. "I'm going to go swimming."

We walked out the back door to the deck and I kicked off my flip-flops while Jacob pulled his shirt over his head. He stepped out of his shoes and then we walked towards the in-ground pool. I laid out a towel and sat down.

Jacob raised a brow. "That's not swimming."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I said, rolling my eyes.

"You're welcome, Sergeant Sarcasm," he retorted, a gleam in his eyes.

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't even think about it."

He winked, took a few steps backwards then ran and flung himself into the pool, sending a wave of water over me.

Without thinking, I immediately jumped to my feet, pulled my shirt over my head, and jumped in just as he broke the surface. I grabbed hold of his ankle and yanked him back under the water. He grabbed me around the waist and pulled us back up, the both of us smiling. My smile faded as I realized I only had a bikini top and board shorts on.

When Jacob said nothing, but stared blankly, I ducked under the water, swam to the side, and lifted myself out, folding myself on the towel. He followed slowly after me and sat down opposite me. His eyes raked over my skin, taking in every scar, every mark left behind.

"Say something," I whispered.

He put a finger under my chin and lifted my lips to his. He kissed me sweetly, passionately, with a bitter hint of pity. Without breaking the kiss, he pushed me back gently until I was lying under him. His lips moved from mine to my cheek, my shoulder, and then farther down. He kissed every little scar, every burn mark, every memory away so it was just him and I, no past, only a future. He kissed down every inch of my longest scar, starting from my hip and making a winding path back to my belly button, where he paused, quirked a brow, and smiled.

"I didn't know you have it pierced," he said, his eyes darkening.

I couldn't help but smile back. "No one does."

He swirled my belly button ring around with his finger, kissed it, and brought his lips back to mine.

"You're beautiful," he whispered as he kissed a burn mark on my collarbone.

I put my fingers in his hair and pulled his lips back to mine. The pity still tainted the kiss, but there was another, more dominant, emotion playing: fury. I deepened the kiss, our tongues fighting for dominance with the other. Jacob frequently let me win and I hated that. I hitched my leg over his hip, pulling myself closer to him. I moaned into his mouth causing him to buck his hips. I pulled away panting while Jacob continued to pepper kisses along my jaw, sucking on the most sensitive spots while his fingers delicately traced the scar leading to my belly button and played with the ring again.

Both of our breathing stopped when the screen door slammed shut. Jacob grabbed my hand and hurriedly pulled me back into the water. The water was icy compared to the heat Jacob and I had been creating. I shivered and dove under to adjust more quickly. Jacob was grateful for the cold for obvious reasons.

I broke the surface to find a very amused Jasper; my face flushed.

"You two are lucky it's me that came out here, not that I'm so happy with what I saw, but I'm willing to let it go because I remember those days all too well," he chuckled and shook his head, "Anyway, lunch is ready and I suggest you two hurry inside before someone like Edward or Emmett or," he shuddered dramatically, "Bella comes out here."

He chuckled once more, turned on his heel and disappeared into the house. I blew out a breath and slunk against the wall. Jacob swam over to me, looked at my expression, and the both of us burst into a fit of laughter that had me clutching my sides.

When we calmed down again, we climbed out of the water and hastily dried ourselves off. I threw Jacob's PacSun t-shirt over my head. He threw me a look, but didn't mind going shirtless.

He grabbed my hips and we walked, with my back pressed against the front of him, awkwardly inside. He spun me around once we were in and planted a kiss to my lips.

"Oh, what is this?" Emmett roared.

We broke apart and exchanged a glance before turning back to a miffed Emmett.

"Trying to show off the guns, Black?" he taunted, standing up.

Jacob quirked a brow and pointed to me. "No, she took my shirt."

"Weak excuse! My pex are way better than yours!" he declared, reaching for the hem of his shirt.

Rosalie stood up then, Cadence in her arms, and put a hand on his arm. "Baby, we know how great you look. Just let it go, we can finish this later, okay?"

Jasper was bouncing Camden in his arms, burying his face in the baby's neck to hide his amusement. Alice was probably imagining the contest Emmett would no doubt come up with, her eyes sparking with anger with the prospect. Edward and Bella were too busy consoling a restless Peyton to notice anything else.

"My pex are way better, damn it," he muttered, sitting back down.

Auden gasped. "Dad, he said dan it!"

Jordan pointed at her. "So did you, stupid!"

"I'm not stupid, meanie head!" Auden shouted back, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm going to make you two sit and hold hands if you don't stop," Jasper threatened, without looking up.

"Oh God, Jazz, you sound like mom," Rosalie laughed.

And with that one last comment the atmosphere broke and fell back into one of laughter and lighthearted teasing. We all laughed over the turn of events and took our food outside to eat on the deck. The music was mostly older, but it fit. Rosalie and Emmett danced for us. Jordan and Auden chased each other around. Peyton sat on a blanket on the grass, too terrified of the green stuff to even imagine getting off of it. Edward and Bella sat contentedly wrapped up in each other. Alice and Jasper were the gracious hosts, refilling drinks and getting everyone more food.

I sat on Jacob's lap on the steps, my head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, matching my own weak one. I hummed for him and sang along occasionally. He gently swayed us from side to side and sang with me when he felt like it. My party was discussed and I was again a little miffed that I was still clueless. Apparently, Jacob already knew about it too. Still, things seemed perfect then.

Jacob drove me home later, where Edward was carrying a sleeping Peyton inside and to her room, Bella following close behind him. He led me up the front porch steps and gave me the cliché goodbye kiss on the doorstep. I smiled as he wrapped his arms tight around me and placed a kiss on the top of my head.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," I murmured with a final squeeze. I watched him drive away, the happiest I had been in a long time.

I walked inside and to the answering machine that was blinking with a new message. I plopped down on an island stool and pressed play.

"_Hey kids_," Grandpa Charlie's voice seemed strained, "_There's been a recent turn of events that I'm inclined to tell you._" He sighed before continuing, breaking my world with a few simple words, "_It seems that Chad's been let out on house arrest due to his current medical condition…_"

I stopped listening then, unable to hear over the sudden ringing in my ears. I slid off of the stool but was stopped by the wall. I sank down, shaking, wrapping my arms around my knees, rocking back and forth, squeezing my eyes shut, praying to God that this was just another nightmare.

"…_we'll need to take extra security measures for Nessie of course_," Grandpa Charlie's voice rumbled on.

Tears welled up behind my closed eyes and leaked out of the corner of my eyes, running down my face with the feel of a razor blade. Footsteps approached and Edward called my name softly. I clenched my eyes shut tighter and breathed out heavily through my mouth.

"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real," I chanted, my head shaking back and forth. I probably looked insane, and right then, I felt it.

"Nessie?" Edward asked, his voice so close to me I flinched. He placed a hand on my shoulder, stilling me.

I opened my eyes, to meet his own concerned. It was hard to hear over the ringing, but the machine had stopped. My breathing was ragged, my heart was unsteady, and my entire body was tensed so tight it hurt. Tears streamed ceaselessly from my eyes; I didn't have the will or strength to stop them. Edward wiped them away with careful fingers.

"Baby, what is it?" he murmured, trying to take me in his arms.

I pushed him away, folding evermore into myself. I whimpered, my chin quivering, another deluge of tears falling from my eyes.

I pointed to the machine with a shaking finger, and in a broken voice whispered, "He's back."

**A/N:** …don't kill me. I've been so busy, it's not even funny. So, even though I'm extremely exhausted, this story means too much to me and all of you for me to drag this out any longer. Yes, I went with the dramatic. Did you think I would do it any differently? (: daddy is back! Uh-oh. He'll make a few appearances, don't you worry your pretty little heads. Well, I guess that's everything. Please, you're going to have to be patient with me and this story - I didn't realize it was going to be so emotionally exhausting. I'll try to update sooner next time. Reviews boost the ego, make the writer happy, writer writes faster. Just sayin'.  
Review!  
XO Kelly


	4. Chapter 3

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 3 - Buried Myself Alive

**Renesmee's POV**

Once I'd calmed down enough to tell Edward _who _exactly was back, there were no words to describe his face. He listened to the message with a sort of growl rumbling up from his chest. When it was over, he'd cursed and left the room with his cell phone in hand.

I couldn't sleep that night. The nightmares that I thought were gone, thanks to Jacob, came back with a newfound force. I stared up at the ceiling with dry eyes, a picture of Jacob and I clutched to my chest. When Edward opened my door, promptly at 6:20, his own eyes dry and bloodshot, he took one look at me and closed the door again. As he walked away, I heard him explaining my absence to a school administrator in a tired voice.

I slept most of the morning, or tried to, while Edward called everyone and explained the situation. Bella kept Peyton quiet, playing with her in the living room. When I opened my eyes at 11:30, groggy and feeling a little irritable, my cheeks were wet with tears I didn't know I'd cried.

I kicked my blankets off, clutched my old Teddy Bear to my chest, and ventured downstairs. Edward and Bella's angry voices floated up to me, and I paused to listen.

"Damn it Edward, we can't just stand back and do _nothing._"

"Bella, I've done everything but quit my job for God's sake! What else is there?"

I walked quietly to the bottom of the steps and bit my lip, burying my face in the matted fur of my bear.

"I don't know! Maybe Charlie should come stay with us for a while," Bella offered, her voice hard.

"Honestly Bella, what good is that going to do? We'd just practically be begging for trouble," Edward seethed.

"What the fuck do you want me to say Edward?" Bella yelled, tears in her voice.

I stepped around the corner as Edward was about to speak. He was pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed, while Bella stood with her arms crossed tight over her chest, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Please stop fighting," I whispered.

Bella wiped the tears out of her eyes and sniffled, putting a fake smile on her face. Edward's jaw was set hard, but his eyes were soft, tired. I stood in the doorway, looking back and forth between them, taking in the scent of my bear.

After a few tense minutes, Edward sighed. "She's right. We shouldn't be fighting."

Bella stepped forward and ran her fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry, Edward."

Edward gave a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sorry, too, love."

They gave a completely new meaning to the phrase 'kiss and make up', before turning back to me. It was quiet for a few minutes, while I looked between the two of them to make sure that they really were okay.

Bella suddenly came forward and gave me a hug. "You must be hungry, let me make you some breakfast."

I shook my head and clutched my bear tighter. "I'm not hungry."

She sighed and pulled away, studying me. She traced her fingers under my eyes and brushed the hair out of my face before placing a kiss to my forehead.

"You should eat something, Nessie," Edward said quietly, distractedly.

I threw a scowl in his direction but took a seat at the table. I knew that whatever I ate would just come back up later; I'd held it down this morning.

The dream I'd had was the same one I'd had when Bella was in the hospital having Peyton. Dark green eyes, my biological father's eyes, stared at me from the doorway, a smile playing on his lips. A man hovered above me, though I could only see the gleam of white teeth in the darkness. He grabbed one of my hands, placed it on himself, and placed my other hand on me, his hands mimicking mine. I was cold, but hot at the same time. A strange feeling washed over me; I felt so good. Then the man's eyes opened, he smiled in satisfaction, and my father flicked the light on. I looked around me, down at my naked child's form, and back to the man as he said my name, my breathing evening out. Then I screamed.

It took everything in me to not let the dream overtake reality. Mostly because it wasn't only a dream, but a memory, one that I'd tried so desperately to forget as soon as it had happened. I grabbed the journal from my bedside table, my mother's journal, and wrote the dream furiously, much as I did any other dream, letting the poisonous memory flow through my fingertips until the words no longer left a bitter after taste.

Bella slid a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast towards me, and it took everything in me to not heave right then. I pushed the plate in a slow circle until the squishy, offensive looking eggs were out of my sight. I picked up the toast and took small bites, chewing and swallowing slowly to maintain the calmness in my stomach. When I finished the toast, I picked up a piece of bacon and munched on it as Bella slid a glass of orange juice towards me along with my heart medication.

I swallowed them dutifully, chasing them with the orange juice. I stood and took my plate to the sink, scraping the now cold eggs into the garbage disposal before placing it in the dishwasher. I hopped up on the counter, looking between the two of them, as they seemed to have some sort of private conversation through their minds.

Finally, Bella huffed and put her hands on her hips. Edward did that crooked smile, and this time it did reach his eyes.

"Why don't you two spend the day together?" he suggested as he crossed the room and placed his hands on top of hers. "Go shopping, or get your nails done or go see a movie, whatever it is you girls do together."

Bella rolled her eyes and then turned to me. "What do you think, hon?"

I shrugged my shoulders and hopped down from the counter. "Okay."

I took the stairs two at a time and closed my door behind me with a soft 'click'. I heard Bella follow shortly behind me, going to her own room. I threw my closet door open and flicked the switch on, waiting until it was cast in a warm glow before entering. I found a purple flannel tunic and pulled that on after removing my red Weezer t-shirt I'd slept in. I turned around and opened the top drawer of my dresser, pulling out a pair of cropped, plain black leggings. I traded my gray Soffe shorts for the leggings and stood back to examine the mess that was my shoes. I reached to the very bottom of the pile, where I knew they would be, and pulled out one gray Converse. _Wrong._ Sighing, I threw it over my shoulder and began digging through the heap. When the light hit the reflective surface, I may or may not have squealed, but pulled out both of the silver flats and pulled them on.

I stood up and did a quick little dance before bouncing out of my closet and over to my vanity. I hummed to myself as I did my makeup, suddenly excited at the prospect of going out. Not with anyone, either, but with Bella; after Peyton was born, our relationship became somewhat distanced, even living in the same house.

I quickly ran a brush through my hair and sprayed myself with PINK before exiting my room. I paused mid-step as Bella came out of her bedroom as well. She wore a flowy blue-gray top that hugged her thin waist, tying on the sides, and a pair of dark skinny jeans, black peep toe pumps gracing her feet.

I groaned. "You didn't tell me we had to get all dressed up."

She smiled softly and took a step towards me. She twirled my chest length bronze ringlet around her finger and kissed my forehead before grabbing my chin between her thumb and finger, staring intently into my chocolate brown eyes. "Sweetheart, you look beautiful."

I flushed, naturally, at the comment and mumbled my thanks. Peyton chose that moment to let us know that she was still there as she let out a loud…noise. Some weird cross between a scream, and a noise a cat would make if you stepped on its tail.

Bella smiled happily and turned back to her room to grab her purse before reappearing and slowly opening Peyton's door. The soft pink of the walls was cast in a dark shadow, the scattered brown and white polka dots causing the walls to look odd. Bella slowly moved the dimmer switch up, allowing Peyton to adjust her eyes to the light.

Peyton clapped as Bella entered the room, falling on her butt from releasing the railing; she hadn't yet mastered standing on her own. Bella cooed quietly as she entered the room, lowering the railing and bending down to scoop Peyton into her arms. Peyton fit snugly on her hip, her head falling to rest on her plush pink blanket, 'lovey', which Bella had draped over her shoulder. Bella placed soft kisses on her face as she carried her to the changing table.

Laying her down, Bella whispered so quietly that I don't think I was supposed to hear, "Mommy loves you so much. Did you know you're my whole world?"

In the silence that followed her statement, I could have sworn I heard my heart break.

!#$#!

"What do you think?" I wondered, stepping out of the dressing room in the fifth dress we'd pulled off the racks, doing a spin for Bella.

She furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side, carefully picking apart the dress as she had done for each one previous. The dress was cream in color, the fabric scrunched beneath my bust, the scoop neck top embellished with gold sequins. The straps were thick, the skirt flowy and ending just above my knee. It was a gorgeous dress but-

"I just don't think it screams sweet 16 party," Bella finally said, finishing my thought for me.

"Maybe if I knew something about the party…?" I hedged yet again, earning a half-hearted glare.

"For the last time, I'm not saying one word. Let your aunts and I have our fun for once. I promise you'll love it, and I swear Alice and Rosalie didn't go too overboard. Just enjoy it, sweetheart."

I sighed and stomped childishly back to the dressing rooms, earning a chuckle from Bella. I stood in front of the dresses I had laid across the bench, dissecting each one, trying to find just the right something in any of them that would finally end this torture.

"Ooh!" Bella suddenly exclaimed. Her heels clicked away from me and I could only guess that she had found yet another dress for me to try on. My suspicions were confirmed when a black and white blur was thrown at me from over the top of the door.

"Heads up," she said as the dress landed atop my head.

"Thanks for the warning," I muttered sarcastically, pulling it off my head.

She chuckled, her heels clicking back to the bench that sat beside the 360-degree mirror. I held it out in front of me for examination, taking note of the pattern of the lace, the effortless beauty, the delicate seaming of the dress. A slow smile spread across my face as I carefully pulled the cream dress off and pulled on the new one.

I walked slowly out of the dressing room, letting the black skirt swish around my knees. I bit my bottom lip to keep the silly smile off my face at the sheer happiness I felt. The white corset top hugged my small frame, emphasizing the small bust I did have with black embroidering and beautiful lace. The thin straps could come off and leave my shoulders bare, if I so chose. The stark contrast of black against my creamy legs made my skin look flawless, the white a beautiful offset to it. I turned my back to the mirror, noticing that the lace and embroidering went around as well.

I looked to Bella with a hopeful expression. She was grinning so big it looked like it hurt. Her eyes met mine, and for some reason they looked a little misty. She turned on the bench only to pick up a shoe box and hand it to me with a wink.

The shoes were…wow. I couldn't find words to describe them. The four-and-a-half inch heel made my legs go on forever, my toes peeking through the hole in the front. The gentle ivory, again, offset the black beautifully. The side held a bow detail anchored by a jeweled buckle that was just enough to make the outfit complete and just…perfect.

"Is this it?" Bella asked in a whisper, appearing by my shoulder.

The smile that I had been suppressing slowly found it's way to the surface and I couldn't contain it any longer. I did a slow spin, watching the skirt flare elegantly. When I stopped, Bella gently pulled the top half of my hair back, holding it in place with her hands. The gold of my necklace fit effortlessly with the dress and I couldn't help but feel that it was meant to be that way.

I turned to face Bella, the smile ever-present. "This is it."

!#$#!

"Ew, no way," I scrunched my nose almost in complete disgust at the man Bella had pointed out as staring at me.

She laughed at my expression and took a sip of her Caribou coffee. "I was just pointing it out, no one said you had to return the feelings."

I shuddered in mock horror, sticking my tongue out as she laughed again. I popped another greasy French fry in my mouth, humming in contentment as I chewed. Today had been perfect. After buying both the dress and shoes, we proceeded to Victoria's Secret to buy a new strapless bra. Two words: Black. Lace. Yeah, that was a little awkward for the both of us. To top that off, the saleslady exclaimed that the matching underwear were on sale, and 'wouldn't it be fantastic to have matching underwear?' I don't know what made her so happy about _my _matching underwear, but nonetheless, we got them. After that, we stopped at a jewelry store to find some vintage-looking gold jewelry to match the dress flawlessly. And it did, no surprise there. When we finished there, we looked at the time to see that we had both skipped a lunch. Which brought us the food court, creeping on people as usual.

A familiar head of orange hair suddenly appeared not ten feet from me, and my hand froze in its journey to my mouth.

"Oh crap," I whispered, trying, futilely, to hide my face before he saw me. But it was already too late.

Bella turned back to me after an awkward wave from him as he made his way towards us, her eyes wide with a 'what the hell do we do' expression. I shrugged and threw my hands in the air, my eyes just as wide.

"Nessie," he breathed, placing a hand on the back of the chair I occupied, a smile on his freckled face.

I smiled tightly. "Hi Todd."

He ran a hand through his hair, flexing his muscles quite noticeably as he did so. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and keep the smile on my face, however fake it may be. "I didn't see you in school today."

I nodded my head slowly. "Yeah, that would be because I wasn't there."

He cocked his head to the side, like the words I uttered had confused him. This time, I couldn't stop the eye roll. Todd was a nice guy, a great friend, but he wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box. He was good-looking, too, some could even argue he had model looks. But he had the personality of a model, and _that _is what killed the feelings I harbored for him long ago.

"Well, I'm glad I found you because there was something I wanted to ask you," he said, his smile back with force.

I sighed and worked hard to keep the smile in place. Nodding my head I silently chanted, _Don't ask me out again, don't ask me out again, don't ask me out again…._

"So, the talent show is February 15th, and I was just wondering if you were going to sign up, and if you, ya know, would like to sign up with me?" he smiled toothily and I inwardly sighed because his hope meant that I had to let him down. Again.

"Todd, look, I…," I paused to think over my words, biting my lower lip, "If I do sign up, I'm going to perform with Jacob, you know, my boyfriend? I'm flattered that you asked, and I'm sorry, but…," I trailed off with a small shrug, not sure how to finish.

He nodded slowly and I could tell that he didn't fully understand. "Yeah, that's cool. Maybe the three of us could do, like, a trio or something, that would be pretty cool, right?"

I sighed deeply, closing my eyes momentarily. Bella had left the table as soon as Todd said there was something he wanted to ask me. She was now watching with a pitiful expression etched into her features. I looked into Todd's deep, blue-gray eyes, sparkling with a hope that killed me. He reached across the table to take my hands, but I slowly pulled them back to rest in my lap. He wasn't dissuaded though.

"Todd, if Jacob and I sign up, it would be the two of us, you know, just him and I?" I looked up from under my lashes, afraid to see his broken expression yet again. What surprised me though, was the anger I saw.

"You know, I just don't get it. What makes _Black,_" he spit his name, "so much better than me?" Dropping his voice down to a whisper and leaning forward, he continued, "I gave you everything. I was the best thing that ever happened to you, and you just walked away like it meant nothing to you. I love you, Ness, and I hope you know that I will fight for you."

I looked down at my hands in my lap, twisting my fingers until it was near painful, letting the chatter surround us drown me and make this moment end. Todd stood up, his chair scraping crudely against the floor, and brushed past me, his scent lingering behind him long after he was gone.

Bella silently slid into her seat again, her lips pursed, and I just _knew _what was coming. I took a deep breath and looked at her, her eyes alight with amusement. She snorted and then covered her mouth quickly, her giggles muffled by a closed mouth and covering hand. She closed her eyes and laughed so hard I thought tears were going to fall from her eyes. I tucked my lips between my teeth to hide my own delight. My eyes grew wide as she snorted again, her laughter making her gasp for breath. She put her forehead on the table, her giggles slowing, until she sat up with one last sigh, a big smile on her face.

"I'm glad someone enjoyed our little exchange," I said, trying and failing, to maintain a sour note.

She saw right through me with a raised eyebrow. "What's life, if we don't laugh at ourselves?"

I sighed knowing she was right and smiled slowly. "He told me he loves me, and he's going to fight for me."

She rolled her eyes. "That boy wouldn't know love if it bit him in the ass. And as for fighting, he's certainly got quite the competition…."

I smiled at the inadvertent mention of Jacob causing to Bella to roll her eyes again as we stood. Maybe Todd did love me, but it held no candle to the love I had for Jacob. And there was nothing that could pull me away from him.

**Jacob's POV**

She hadn't returned one phone call, didn't reply to one text. Not from me, not from Cameron, not even Julia. And a day where they didn't talk, you knew there was something wrong. I sighed in relief as I parked in front of the huge house, as I saw that the garage was open and both the Volvo and Jeep were parked inside.

I cut off the growl of my truck with a twist of my wrist and jumped down, straightening my rumpled shirt before walking quickly up the driveway, to the front door. I knocked three times and waited patiently as I heard footsteps move to the door.

Edward answered with his usual smile, though he looked tired. "Hello Jacob," he said politely, stepping aside to let me in.

I stepped in and he closed the door behind me. Bella worked around the kitchen preparing dinner as Edward fed Peyton the mush that was her food. He had resorted to making airplane and train noises to make her laugh to get the food in.

"Jay!" she yelled with a clap of her hands before she reached out for me.

"Hey baby girl," I cooed quietly to her before turning to Edward. "Is Nessie home?"

"My apologies Jacob, she's in the piano room. Go on up," he said as he struggled to regain Peyton's attention.

I walked quietly up the stairs, knowing that the piano room was somewhat of a sanctuary to her, music her saving grace; I didn't want to interrupt her. The door was opened no more than an inch, and I pushed it open slowly, listening to her fingers work over the guitar slung across her lap as she sang sweetly.

"_When I was younger I saw my daddy cry, and curse at the wind. He broke his own heart, and I watched as he tried to reassemble it…"_

I leaned unobtrusively in the doorway, remembering the way she sang the same song to me for Valentine's Day, the same song she had gotten so upset over and claimed she could never get right, the same song that stole my heart and made me fall even deeper in love with her. I closed my eyes and let the sorrowful, yet joyful, words course through me as though she knew I was standing here, watching her. If she did, she made no move to acknowledge me. She continued on as if it was only her, Jasmine lying quietly at her feet.

"…_Maybe I know, somewhere deep in my soul that love never lasts, and we've got to find other ways to make it alone, keep a straight face…"_

As the music came to a close, the last notes lingering softly in the air, I took a quiet step into the room.

"That was beautiful," I whispered, afraid to speak too loud.

"Thanks," was all she replied with, a smile in her voice.

I chuckled because she had known I had been standing there, but she didn't seem upset by the fact, maybe a little embarrassed though. I took another step towards her and she turned from her seat on the bench to look at me. Her face was aglow in a warm blush, and I reached out tentatively to touch it, my rough hand on her soft cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into my touch, sighing in contentment.

When her eyes opened, she set the guitar in it's stand and stood to meet me. My arms snaked around her waist as her wound around my neck, eliminating any space between us. My hand slowly trailed up her side as she shivered delicately, until my hand found her face again. I cupped her face in my hand, leaning down to bring my lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

"I missed you today," I whispered huskily in her ear.

She shivered again, tightening her hold on me and twining her hands through the hair on the back of my neck. "I missed you more."

I moved my nose slowly along her jaw, down her throat and back up again, murmuring against her skin, "See, I don't think that's possible."

"Wanna bet?" she asked as she bit my ear lobe playfully.

I returned the gesture by sucking gently on the sensitive skin below her ear, earning a soft moan from her lips. I moved my lips eagerly back to hers, letting my hands trail down to her legs to lift them up. She locked her ankles together, her hold on me pulling her ever-closer to my overheated body. I swiveled our bodies and sat her on top of the piano, continuing to stand between her legs as I continued my assault.

She continued to pant and moan as I nipped my way down to her exposed collarbone, my tongue following after every bite. Her hands pulled on my hair, the pain causing me to groan as she pulled my lips to hers hungrily. My tongue reached out to run across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth in reply, both immediately battling for dominance.

As her hands moved down to the hem of my shirt and began to tug it up, that was when reality snapped back to me. Nessie wasn't just some girl I was going to mindlessly fuck, I vowed a long time ago that her first time would be special. I painfully removed her lips from mine, leaning my forehead against hers as I tried to even my breathing.

"Jacob…please," she pleaded, her voice breathy and sultry.

I shook my head slowly against hers, our noses gently touching with each pass. I knew she would be frustrated with my sudden stop, but I'd promised myself I would do things the right way with Nessie. She huffed angrily, just like I knew she would, and tried to wiggle out of my embrace.

I moved my hands from the top of her thighs to her waist, my fingers poking her side. She squirmed under them, though her face remained a scowl. I smirked because I knew she wouldn't last long. My tickles started slowly and she moved from side to side until she cracked a smile and a laugh bubbled up in her throat.

"Jacob," she tried to complain, but at the same time her laugh came out and my name came out with a squeal.

"Yes?"

"St-stop, please," she begged, her body jerking with each poke I delivered, a beautiful laugh falling from her lips.

"I don't think I will," I murmured as my nose skimmed her neck, the light touch making her laugh louder.

"I can't…b-breathe," she gasped out, her laughter continuing to sound like a chorus of bells to me.

I finally relented and she breathed deeply, a happy smile on her face. I gave her a chaste kiss before lifting her from the piano and letting her lead the way out. We walked outside with Jasmine on our heels to our tree, the tree beside her window that we had carved our initials in the bark over the summer like the lovesick teenagers we were. She carefully pushed me down to the ground in the shade from the tree, quickly coming to rest between my legs. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her body flush against mine, burying my nose in her beautiful curls and breathing deeply.

"What _is _that?" I muttered under my breath.

She giggled, the sound making me smile. "Orange blossom," she stated matter-of-factly, because of course she knew exactly what I was talking about. We sat in comfortable silence for a while, listening as Cameron's band, Caustic, played inside his garage, Julia there only cheerleader - for now.

"You didn't answer me," I said quietly after a while, feeling her breathing becoming more even.

She shrugged lazily, like it was no big deal. "I wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone via text message. I much prefer to talk to you face-to-face."

"You could have at least let me know you were okay," I said with a kiss to the back of her neck.

She turned around to look at me, her eyes searching my face. She kissed my nose as she leaned her side into me, her head tucked under my chin, like she was meant to be there.

"Hey Jacob?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, baby?"

"I'm okay," she whispered, but the way she said it had me second guessing her.

Not soon later, Bella called the both of us in for dinner, ignoring my protests in joining them. I tried to keep Nessie seated on my lap, but the glared that earned from Edward had her quickly scooting over to her own chair. Not much was said over dinner; their seemed to be some sort of tension that filled the air. The cryptic talk between Edward and Bella, the nervous glances between Nessie and her parents.

Something wasn't right - they were hiding something from me.

Edward sighed, drawing all of our attention to him. He pushed his plate away from him and folded his hands in his lap. Nessie's hand snaked into mine and squeezed, but she looked down at her lap. Bella removed Peyton from her highchair and took her quietly upstairs, the click of her door sounding ominous.

"Somebody wanna to tell me what's going on?" I wondered, glancing between Edward and Nessie.

Nessie's shoulders slumped, as if in defeat. I squeezed her hand and brought her knuckles to my lips for a kiss. Edward watched us quietly, his eyes squinted like he was trying to read something without glasses. He leaned forward and ran a hand through his hair with yet another sigh.

"Something has come up, Jacob," he said carefully.

I nodded my head slowly, urging him on.

"Someone," Nessie interjected quietly without looking up.

"Can someone just tell me already?" I asked in irritation.

Edward's eyes narrowed, gauging my reaction before he buried his face in his hands and took a deep, steadying breath, his shoulders moving the only indication he was breathing at all. When he looked at me, the anguish was so clear I could feel it.

"He's back."

* * *

_A/N: No excuse. I'm sorry. But on a happier note, I finally updated, and with the same ending words as the last chapter. How's that for originality?  
I don't normally do this, but I'm dedicating this chapter to two of my best friends, **Checkyesjulia** and **Hunter**. You two kept me going this time, I don't know how you put up with me, but I love you. Thank you. A toast, to best friends.  
So the next chapter is basically written…in my mind.  
New story I'm working on. If your review is extra specially magically delicious I may let you get a sneak peek. I never said I was above bribery. Because I'm not.  
You know what time it is? Four a.m., so I better get a shitload of reviews because I'm tired. Yeah, you know the drill. You're not five, I don't need to say it AGAIN, but I guess I will anyway. REVIEW. Boost the ego a little, you know? Never hurt anyone.  
Favorite line/scene/part? How bad did it suck? Lemme know.  
Love ya, Kelly  
P.S. The song for this chapter is _Buried Myself Alive _by _The Used. _Amazingness, go listen._


	5. Chapter 4

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 4 - A Little Less Sixteen Candles

**Renesmee's POV**

Jacob stared unhappily at me in the mirror as I pulled my hair into its customary ponytail. I tied the black ribbon in as well and added a little glitter to my hair and face before turning to him.

_God, he was sexy in his jersey_. They wore black today because we were playing away, at Conway. It was no secret this game had everyone on edge; we'd lost to Conway for the past seven years. Anyway, back to ogling Jacob. The jersey was snug around his upper arms. He tucked it into his light wash jeans, black Adidas gracing his feet. His number, 19, ironically our anniversary, was in bold white on his chest and back, outlined in deep red. His last name was printed in capitals on his upper back.

My uniform was similar to his. The top and bottom both were black, though I wore a white long sleeve shirt underneath. The skirt had two slits on either side, white showing underneath. The top had red and white stripes that pointed under my bust, CFH, Carolina Forest High, on my chest outlined in red.

Jacob was still sulking as we walked out of my room and down stairs.

"Jacob, get over it. It was only four inches," I said with a roll of my eyes. I had recently gotten a hair cut, more like trim, and it threw Jacob into some weird sort of funk. Seriously? It was only hair; dead skin follicles growing from my scalp.

"Yeah, but those were my _favorite _four inches," he pouted.

I slipped my fingers into his belt loops and pulled his chest flush against mine. I needed to make him smile, and I could only think of one sure-fire way to do it. I smirked. "Really? I thought you had another favorite four inches."

He chuckled in response, moving his hands to my lower back. "Oh trust me, there's a lot more than four inches."

I blushed, just because he was trying - and succeeding, might I add - to be sexual. I stood on my tip-toes and kissed him once, making a very loud 'muah' that had him laughing as we pulled apart. He tugged my now four inch shorter hair and took my hand as we walked downstairs.

I hugged Edward, Bella, and Peyton goodbye and skipped outside to Jacob's truck. Edward and Bella were leaving soon after I left, part of my surprise party, but I still had no clue where we were going. I knew that it wasn't a very long drive, but they had to get their early to make sure our accommodations were well enough. But I was still just as clueless about the party as when they first mentioned it. Peyton was going to stay with Charlie and Renee, partly because Renee begged and pleaded, and also because they wanted me to fully enjoy my birthday weekend. Camden and Cadence were staying with Carlisle and Esme, while Auden and Jordan would be staying with Jasper's parents, much to the dislike of both Alice and Jasper. Apparently, his parents were a little…off.

I played with Jacob's hand happily as we drove to school, his mood uplifted by the thrill of the game, mine for both the party and the game.

He kissed me once more as we went our separate ways for class, knowing we would see each other later for the pep rally. I skipped into my first period class, a study hall actually, and was immediately swarmed with early wishes for a great birthday. I internally sighed, but smiled and thanked everyone.

The day passed by quickly. Julia was excited, to say the least. She almost slipped up about the party a few times, where Cameron's eyes would grow wide and he'd kiss her quiet. If it wasn't so infuriating, I would have found it funny.

The pep rally was the same as it usually was. We psyched everyone for the game. Coaches blathered on about nothing important. Cheerleaders did a routine to a mix of songs. Students cheered on about whatever they could.

As soon as the pep rally ended, the football players were put on one bus, and us cheerleaders on another. I listened to my iPod, quite loudly, as those around me laughed and gossiped. I sat a good distance away from Bethany to keep the peace, and didn't exactly have any friends on the squad because they all crushed hard on Jacob, and hated me when we got together. I didn't mind much though, I sort of liked the solitude.

Sort of.

!#$#!

Jacob grasped me firmly around the waist, lifting me off the ground as he spun. His other hand was extended in the air, his helmet held up triumphantly. I threw my head back and laughed, and then kissed him fiercely, the both of us grinning like madmen.

From behind us, someone scoffed. "He didn't even make the touchdown."

As I turned, I saw that it was Bethany. _Of course…._ She was wrapped around Todd, a rather large grin on his face. I rolled my eyes. No, Jacob hadn't made the touchdown, that was Todd. But Jacob had thrown the winning pass, and that was just as important. I captured his lips in a kiss once more, gripping my hands in his hair as he set me back on my feet.

He pecked me on the lips one more time before he ran into the locker room with his team to shower and change for the drive to…wherever the hell it was we were going.

I sighed happily and skipped into the separate locker room with my team to change as well. Just an _I See Stars _t-shirt and yoga pants and I was good to go. I slipped into a pair of white flip flops, pulled the bow from my hair and stuffed it all in my duffel bag before exiting.

Groups of people scattered around the track surrounding the field. The energy of a victory hummed through the air. I congratulated a few as I passed, they thanked me boisterously and returned to whatever they were doing before. As I came up to Todd, I mentally prepared myself to be cordial to the jackass, but his words stopped me.

"Of course I'll be there, why wouldn't I? Besides, I'm goin' out there anyway for my party, why not humor the bitch and show up?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, but to anyone else it would look like I was glaring at the ground. I crossed my arms over my chest and opened my mouth to say something, when I felt it. _Him._

As his strong arms wrapped around me from behind, I relaxed my tense stance and softened my stare to look up at him. He placed a kiss to my pulse point and started moving us forward, which was quite awkward as we were connected. I swear it was like he knew when I was in a bad mood before he even looked at me, and he always knew how to fix it.

He spun me out, still keeping our hands locked and grinned as I tripped over my feet. I skipped along beside him, mostly because it was easier to keep up with him that way, but because I was just…happy. Despite everything happening in my life, I was happy. Emmett once told me that I acted more my age when I was around Jacob, and that was why he usually wound up being wherever we were and convincing me that it would, in fact, be fun, whatever we were doing, say, perhaps, prank calling Edward. Worst idea ever, but Jacob and Emmett had a good laugh and that's all that matters.

Jacob threw both of our duffel bags into the back seat, helped me climb into his monster of a truck and then got in himself. With a quick twist of his wrist, the truck growled to life and Jacob sped out of the parking lot.

I spread out on the comfy seat, my feet resting on the center counsel, used one of Jacob's hoodies left in his truck as my pillow, and allowed my mind to wander away with the sweet melodies of country music flowing through the cab of the truck.

!#$#!

When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see light. And to be on a bed. I didn't remember how I'd gotten there, but I stretched and turned over, hoping to find a few more moments of peace. I sighed and snuggled up closer to something in my bed that was sort of hard and soft at the same time. I peeked one eye open and met sparkling brown eyes and Jacob's cocky grin.

He chuckled once and placed a kiss to my forehead. "Happy birthday."

I groaned and shook my head, burrowing further into what I now realized was his chest. I sighed in contentment and kissed his clothed shoulder.

"Wakey, wakey birthday girl!" Emmett demanded in his booming voice as the bedroom door flew open and hit the wall.

He literally flew on top of the bed, sideways, covering my chest and Jacob's. He locked his ankles and kicked them up as he dropped his head into his hands, looking like a teenage girl.

"Good morning!" he sang in a pitch that was much too high for the morning. I furrowed my brow, trying to gauge what time it was from the light coming in through my windows.

"What time is it?" I asked, voicing my thoughts aloud.

"It's nearly eleven!" he whined.

My eyes widened in shock and I looked to Jacob for confirmation. His eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted, but his hand was running through my hair, so I knew he was still awake, just acting for Emmett's benefit.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and gave Emmett a few shoves to get him off me. Though I couldn't do it alone, he got the message and slid off the bed just in time for another person to come barreling into the room and start bouncing on the bed. Alice.

"Aunt Alice," I groaned as the bed shook us like an earthquake. She was saying something, though what, I wasn't sure because she was talking too fast and jumping. She stopped after a few moments and dropped to her knees next to me, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Good morning, Renesmee," she said sweetly and just a little too innocently for the way she just acted. I narrowed my eyes in return and sat up against the headboard.

As I opened my mouth to return her sentiments, her eyes went wide and she jumped up and off the bed, running out of the room with a squealed, "Oh my God!" A door slammed shut and the squealing died out. I looked to Emmett in confusion, but he only grinned and left the room.

Jacob sighed in contentment and nuzzled my cheek with his nose, causing a small giggle to escape my lips, and a large grin to widen his face. He peppered kisses up my shoulder and across my collarbone, trailing up my neck to finally stop at the corner of my mouth. Before he could do something that would have us staying in bed all day long, I quickly pecked his lips, slipped out of his grasp, and sprinted to the bathroom, too fast for him to make a move.

I faintly heard him mutter something as his feet hit the floor, but I didn't question him. I quickly showered and brushed my teeth, wrapped my hair in a towel, and noticed a pile of clothing atop the bathroom counter. I pulled on the skinny jeans and purple plaid shirt, yanked a brush through my hair and skipped downstairs.

I was immediately assailed with loud birthday congratulations, a sexual joke from Emmett, Julia's singing, and the smell of my favorite pancakes.

Julia threw her arms around me in a crushing hug as she continued to sing. Still connected, we tripped into the kitchen, Cameron now joining the hug and raising the volume of singing. I laughed when Emmett joined us, much louder than the three of us. We stopped and looked up at him as he finished.

"What? Just 'cause I'm older than you, I can't have fun? That's a hate crime!" he yelled as he took his seat at the kitchen table, though he was grinning.

I rolled my eyes, hugged my best friends, took Jacob's hand and sat down at the table.

Though we were the only two that had yet to eat, the rest of them felt the need to sit with us. I was bombarded by my more 'happy birthday' wishes, hugs, and kisses. I smiled at all of them, thanked them, and stuffed my mouth with chocolate chip pancakes.

Alice pleaded with them to let me open my birthday presents early, but they said that we had to wait till tomorrow, after the surprise. I knew the surprise was a party, but they insisted on referring to it as 'the surprise'.

I guess it was sort of a surprise, though, considering I had no idea where we were….

I furrowed my brow as I set my plate in the sink and turned around, leaning against the counter and folding my arms across my chest.

"Where are we?" I wondered, just as Cameron was yelling, "Bull shit!" to the game of, well, bull shit they were playing.

Cameron looked at me apologetically, though I noticed he was smug over the way Julia's eyes glazed over when he said shit. Even I had to admit, it was pretty cute.

I cleared my throat and asked again, "Where are we?"

Emmett laughed, like I knew he would, Edward shot him a glare. Alice squealed, Jasper smiled at her, Julia and Cameron snickered, Jacob shot me a sympathetic look, but it was Bella that answered.

"North," she replied, without turning in my direction.

"North?" I repeated, uncomprehending.

Edward cracked a small smile as he turned to me. "North Carolina, honey. Carolina Beach, to be exact."

My mouth formed an 'O' as Alice shot out of her seat and ran from the room, buzzing in excitement. I furrowed my brow at her retreating figure and looked at the rest of my family with a raised eyebrow.

Before any of us could say anything, she was back in the room with her hands behind her back. Emmett let out a loud 'whoop!', and Jasper groaned, but other than that, no one seemed to have anything else to say. I glanced around the room in confusion, but smiled when I saw her pull the familiar box from behind her back.

She handed me the box wrapped in white and sprinkled with big and small multicolored circles. I hopped up on the counter and traced the edges of the box reverently. I did this every year, though I knew what the box would contain: one new pair of Converse. It was a tradition, of sorts, that I got a new pair for my birthday each year. The only changing aspect was the shoe and who was giving them. This year, I suppose, it was Alice and Jasper.

I gently peeled away the tape, careful not to disrupt the beautiful paper. Yeah, I was one of those people. I tugged it down the box and folded it neatly to rest beside me. I paused to look up and saw everyone staring at me. I blushed and slowly opened the box, causing Emmett to groan, just like I knew he would. I pushed the tissue paper aside and my eyes widen.

Nestled into the white paper and brown confines of the box, were the pair of Converse I had been drooling over for the equivalent of about a year. To anyone else, they were nothing special. But to me, this meant the world.

I dropped the box containing my new metallic Converse and threw my arms around my small aunt. I repeated thank you like a mantra and then pulled away, only to do the same to Jasper.

"Enough with the love fest, you need to leave!" Emmett demanded, pounding his fist against the table for emphasis.

I raised a questioning eyebrow at him and cocked my head to the side. "Leave? Where?"

Jacob smiled, and spoke up for the first time. "You'll be coming with me."

I smiled back, a reflex reaction to his happy demeanor. I sat on the floor with my new shoes and pulled them on, loving the feeling of new Converse hugging my feet. I stood slowly, knowing I'd probably regret wearing them without breaking them in later, but I couldn't bring myself to care then.

Julia wiggled her fingers at me as a goodbye and I paused in my tracks. I cocked an eyebrow at her and beckoned her over with a crook of my finger. She sighed and stomped dramatically towards me.

"Yes?" she wondered, batting her lashes innocently.

I peeked over her shoulder at Cameron who grinned cockily. "What are you two planning to do while we're gone?"

She looked around the room, pretending to think about it. Her eyes sparkled with something - lust? - as she glanced behind her at Cameron. She turned back to me with hooded eyes, her lip in her mouth.

"I'm sure we can find something to entertain ourselves," she said with a determined nod of her head.

My eyes widened and I pulled her off to the side by the elbow. Because, hell, of course we'd talked about sex, who doesn't? But I hadn't realized they were that serious. Not that it was really my business, but I do admit that I was a little jealous she was beating me to the punch. Although, I had no one but myself to blame for this.

"Are you sure?" I wondered quietly.

She glanced at her fingers, twisting and untwisting them. She looked so much like the nine year old girl I had become best friends with. Julia and I had been through so much together, not as much as Cameron and I, but still. I didn't want to think about what would happen if either of them got hurt.

She looked back up at me with a fiery determination in her eyes. "I'm sure."

**Julia's POV**

The journey back into our room was different...I suddenly felt unsure of myself. Not just two minutes ago, I was confident and ready to do this. But now, all I could feel was nausea as I thought of what is going to transpire in a little.

I led the way up to our room quietly. I could hear Cam humming under his breath and tapping on his legs as we made our way into the room. Pushing the door open roughly, I strolled right into our room and sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at my knees. I heard him shut the door quietly. He didn't make a move to come closer to me. I heard him pick up the remote and not a second later, I heard _Closer_ by Kings of Leon blaring through his speakers.

"Babe, are you okay?"

I made an affirmative noise with my mouth and nodded my head vigorously. But, on the inside, I was anything but okay. My mouth was dry, my heart was pounding, and my whole body was shaking. I sucked in a big gulp of air and pursed my lips.

He chuckled and sat down next to me, pulling me into his side. I automatically relaxed into his embrace. "Don't lie to me. I can tell something's not right."

I didn't answer him. I only turned around so that I was facing him. I kept my head down, not daring to look at his face. Breathing in a huge amount of air, I lifted my leg and put it on the other side of him, so that I was now straddling his lap. I let out the air I was holding in and leaned forward, resting my face in the crook of his neck.

"Woah," Cam chuckled and put both hands on my hips. I moved myself up his legs with my lower body so that I was closer to him. I pressed my lips to his throat lightly. Cam's breathing hitched. "Wo-_oah_," he stuttered squeezing my hips tighter.

I felt myself smile at his sudden surprise. I let my mouth trail up his throat and to his jaw, making sure I kissed every centimeter. I stretched my neck so that I could reach his face without moving my body. I let my hand wander up his sides, going up to his hair. I pulled his head down to look at me when I finally had enough courage to look him in the eye.

His eyes were half-lidded when he stared down at me, his mouth slightly opened. I let my lips linger on his for a second before pulling away.

"What was that?" he whispered after a moment of catching his thoughts.

"Was that fine?" I asked, unexpectedly uncertain of myself.

Cameron furrowed his eyebrows. "Jules, that was great," he chuckled in a confused manner. "What brought that on though?" he questioned innocently. His hand on my right hip began moving up and down, bring my shirt with it.

My breathing sped up at that innocent act. "Cam," I stammered, not really sure how to start this conversation. He raised an eyebrow. I licked my lips. "Cam," I started over, sounding stronger this time. "I think...I think I'm ready."

His face was automatically all business. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but concern for my well-being, hidden behind unadulterated lust.

"Yes, I am," I answered him with more confidence than ever. When he didn't say anything back, my heart sped up for a different reason. "But, of course we don't need to if you don't want to. I just...I know I'm ready to be with you. I know I took a while to realize that you'll love me no matter what, and I'm sorry. I'm dumb, and I let my insecurities get in the way. But lately I've been dreaming of what it would be like, and I just thought to myself, '_Hey, why am I holding back_?' I have a gorgeous, Australian boyfriend that tells me he's in love with me everyday. And then I was just thinking how it would be like. And I liked it, and I _wanted_ to do it. And it's not like you haven't seen me, and I haven't seen you already. I just—" Cameron's lips cut off my blabbering.

My eyes slid shut as he pulled me closer to him, leaving absolutely no space between our bodies. Kissing Cameron would never get old. The same passion from our first kiss was still here in this kiss. The same feeling I get in my stomach when he's around me is still there. And I love it.

His mouth opened against mine and he sighed. His hands tightened around my hips for a second. "I love you," he whispered into my mouth. His hands moved from my hips and around to the back of my thigh, right underneath my butt, and stood up from the bed, griping onto me securely. He turned around and bent over so that he rested me on top of his unmade bed.

My heart started beating so fast that I could feel it in my throat. This was really it. Sex. Bumpin' uglies. Doing the nasty. The horizontal tango. Whatever. There was no turning back after this. Was I nervous? There's no doubt about it. Was I uncertain? Hell no. I know I want this with him. Sure, Cam and I have fooled around a lot since we've been dating, but this is a big step for not just me and my self-esteem, but for our relationship.

Cameron crawled on top of me, using his arms to keep his full body weight off of me. We stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

And then I blinked, trying to alleviate the shaking in my body.

Cameron lowered his head, kissing right beneath my ear and I shuddered. "We don't have to do this," he whispered into my ear.

I shook my head with my eyes still shut.

_Grow a pair and man up, bitch._

Ugh, but I couldn't even listen to my inner-ramblings. My stomach was clenched with desire and nervousness. My whole body was shaking, and it was a weird feeling. And my head was swimming with images of Cam all sweaty and naked over me...

I have a problem.

I suddenly felt him shift and he began to lift himself off of me. That instantly knocked me out of my fantasy world. My eyes snapped open and I frantically shot my hand out and gripped onto his shirt.

"Listen, Julia—"

I cut off his "stealthy" retreat by gripping onto his hair and pulling his head down so that his face was hovering over mine. His elbows gave way and his body fell on top of mine. I sucked in a huge breath. "You," I whispered and kissed the edge of his mouth, "are going to stay on this bed with me. And we won't leave this room until certain things are done."

He smirked brashly and sat up so that he was straddling my legs. He lifted his hands up in the air, looking down at me expectantly. I rolled my eyes and sat up a little tugging his shirt up and over his head. Pushing his chest, I knocked him off of my legs so he laid flat on his back, his head near the end of the bed. I got up on my knees and crawled closer to his legs.

I looked down at his body, fully aware of the god lying underneath me. I raised my eyebrows as I heard another song start playing: _You Shook Me All Night Long_.

He shrugged awkwardly against the mattress. "You never know. And it's a classic. You could never go wrong." And with that said, he wrapped his fingers in my belt loops, efficiently pulling them down. He looked up at me from under his eyelashes and produced a sexy ass grin that almost had me fainting on the spot. "Now, why don't you do what AC/DC is singing?"

**Renesmee's POV**

Jacob led me down the boardwalk, so similar to home. We smiled and laughed and played and we just…were. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift, but Jacob had other ideas.

He pulled me to a bench on an empty pier and took my hands in his, kissing my knuckles reverently. He swept the hair out of my face and breathed my name, only just a whisper on his lips. I closed my eyes and leaned into the hand cupping my cheek. When his hand disappeared, I opened my eyes to find him facing me, a black velvet box in his outstretched hand. My eyes widened to meet his sheepish gaze.

"Jacob?" I choked, his name so sweet in my mouth.

He held up on finger to me and took a deep breath, pinching the box delicately between his rough fingers. I waited, just barely concealing my nerves, for him to open that box. Instead, he opened my palm and placed the soft, small box in my shaking hand.

"Renesmee," he sighed, my name lost in the wind that tangled my hair. "I love you. I can't even begin to tell you how much you mean to me. I'm not asking you to marry me," he paused, then added, "yet. But I want to make a promise to you that someday, when we're older, and my love for you has grown impossibly, that I will ask for your hand in marriage. Until then, I give you this ring as a promise of the love I have for you. I pray that you accept this token of my love."

I blew out a shaky breath, and watched as his able fingers lifted the lid of the box. Stupidly, the first thing I noticed was the name of the jeweler's inside the lid, and all I could think of was that stupid commercial, where the entire family gets excited over the place he went. I cracked a smile thinking about the kid I'd had a crush on in middle school, as Julia made fun of him and respectfully referred to him as, "He went to Jared!"

The ring was nestled into the soft white satin of the box. The delicate silver band held seven hearts, alternating in direction, three of them holding trios of glittering diamonds. It literally took my breath away. It was so…perfect. I didn't even want to think about how much Jacob had spent on it. Instead, I looked up to meet his anxious gaze, and, unsure of how to respond to his pouring his heart out, answered with a simple, whispered, "Yes, I love you."

He closed his eyes and released the breath I hadn't realized he'd been holding. He picked the ring up between his fingers and snapped the box shut, placed it aside, and took my hand in his. Looking up from under his lashes, he slid the ring onto the third finger of my left hand. _Home._ Where it would stay, undoubtedly, until the day we could be together forever.

* * *

_A/N: For once, I have nothing to say. Thank you, _**Checkyesjulia **_for playing the part of the lovely Julia. No doubt in my mind that you made this chapter.  
Don't worry, this is only part one. Part two is partially written, and will probably, maybe, hopefully be up in the next few days. I'll put up outfits and a play list. Soo, that's it. Please review. And also, vote, please, on the poll on my profile. Your input means a ton to me.  
Love you,  
Kelly_


	6. Chapter 5

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 5 - A Little More Touch Me

**Renesmee's POV**

"Oh fuck Jacob," it came out as a breathy moan, and I couldn't even try to be embarrassed about it. Jacob growled, yes growled, in response as his teeth scraped my pulse point. My hips bucked forward of their own accord, bringing his fingers deeper and me closer to the edge. His hand pushed me farther against the wall, and I arched my back instinctively, fisting my hand in his hair, dampened by sweat. My eyes rolled back in my head as I was overcome with the sensation of flying, his name and a slew of curse words falling from my kiss-swollen lips.

- - - - -  
Let's rewind for a second here.  
- - - - -

To say that my party was a success would be the biggest understatement of the year. We danced, we ate, we were, well more than a little inappropriate. Jacob and I sure as hell helped that sexual tension build, with the grinding of hips, and the whispering of words, and the gentlest of touches that made my skin flame.

Emmett was the DJ, which didn't quite help because he was the king of innuendo. The house was decorated in the sexiest of ways, only lit by twinkle lights wrapped around beams. Laser lights - no clue how they hell they managed that - in deep purples and reds, blues and greens, flickered across the room in time with the music. Bodies swayed, hips connected, and people touched. I'm sure that if my parents weren't present the party would have turned into one giant orgy. Not that they were much better than any of us.

When I was sure that the room would burst from the tension, Emmett stopped the music and told us all to file out the front door, him leading the pack like a kid running for the candy store. Cameron stood proudly in front of his old Civic, his face spreading into a wide grin as my Dad stepped forward.

"Happy birthday, Renesmee," he said as he gestured towards Cameron's car.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "You're giving me Cameron's piece of crap?"

Cameron frowned in mock disdain. "Don't knock my baby. You'd be lucky to have that car."

Instead, Edward chuckled and pointed to the approaching headlights. I squinted against the bright lights and watched anxiously as they turned into the driveway. Somehow - I was really learning to never doubt a Cullen - a spotlight swept across the yard and landed on the sleek car that pulled up. Jasper stepped out and dropped the keys into my palm.

Of course it wasn't just any car. It was an Audi a5 Cabriolet, sleek and black and beautiful. Jacob grinned next to me and snatched the keys from my hand. I was dumbstruck, completely unable to make any sort of response. Many guys approached the car while girls flipped their hair in the way they did, trying to prove they weren't jealous by being bitches and showing no interest at all.

Jacob started the car, put the top down, and pulled me down on his lap. I blushed, of course, not only because he was making a public display, but because of the way he groaned when I wiggled into place.

When we returned to the party, it was decidedly less heated. The music had less of a beat and more of a melody. Even still, bodies connected as they swayed, and though it was toned down, hips were grinding, just slower now. Jacob gritted his teeth as I rested my head in the crook of his neck. I flicked my tongue out to lick his pulse point, and scraped my teeth ever-so-gently against his earlobe. Something rumbled in his chest, his hands gripped my waist tighter, and my name ghosted out of his mouth, somewhere between a moan and a growl. That was when I first felt his arousal, but it wouldn't be the last time that night.

The last few partygoers left just after ten. The adults went out back for a drink, while us four giggled our way up to my room. Julia spun around, her ruffled gray skirt lifting around her. She crossed her ankles and plopped down in the middle of the floor, her knees tucked underneath her.

All of us followed suit and we soon found ourselves deep in a game of truth or dare. We couldn't do anything too outlandish, like we normally would have, with so many adults sitting around. Almost an hour later, all of them came in to tell us goodnight. Maybe it was just me, but they didn't seem too convinced when I told them we would stay in the house.

Sure enough, as soon as the bedroom door closed, Jacob and Cameron were in motion. Julia, obviously in on what was happening, grabbed my hand and pulled me over to my duffel bag. She kneeled down and began throwing clothes out of her way. When she came up with the lacy black and white polka dot thong Alice had insisted I needed just a few days ago, she raised a questioning eyebrow at me.

I shrugged as a hot blush swept across my face. "Alice."

She nodded as though she didn't believe me at all. "Riiiight."

She threw it at me and I buried it under the deep purple sweater in my arms just as Jacob was tip-toeing out of the bathroom. He changed from his black dress shirt and tie into a gray Henley, and from his dressy Adidas to a black pair of Nikes.

I appraised him quietly as Julia gathered the last of our clothes and pulled me into the bathroom. She changed from skirt and corset into an oversized black t-shirt with a white heart in the middle and light wash skinny jeans. I changed as she did, from my dress into the deep purple sweater and dark jeans. I slipped into my faded gray Vans and pulled the barrette from my hair.

Julia pulled the beanie off her head, ran a brush through her hair and re-positioned the hat. She also slid into a pair of Vans. I quickly raked a brush through my hair, touched up my make-up, commented on Julia's outfit, and we walked out of the bathroom arm-in-arm.

Cameron and Jacob were waiting for us, not by the door, but by the window. I raised a questioning brow, they exchanged and glance and simply shrugged. Cameron climbed out first followed by Julia, me, and Jacob. I laughed quietly on the way down, remembering the look on Jacob's face the day I had dropped from one branch to another. He glared playfully, as if he knew what I was thinking. I winked at him and dropped to the lowest branch. He cursed quietly and was by my side quickly.

We made it out of the tree and to the car without incident. Instead of taking Jacob's monster of a truck, we decided to take Cameron's Civic.

Jacob held out his hand for the keys and Cameron eyed him incredulously, simultaneously flexing his fingers around the keys in his pocket.

"We have to push it for a while, so we don't wake anyone," Jacob said, raising a brow, daring him to contest.

"Well, shouldn't you be pushing then, Muscle Man?" Cameron asked through gritted teeth.

Jacob smirked cockily. "Seniority rules."

After an intense, and quite hot, stare down, Cameron handed the keys over to Jacob. He put the car in neutral and steered down the long driveway with the three of us pushing. When we were a safe distance away, we climbed into the car and were down the road.

The drive was short and we pulled up to a old, wooden house perched on the edge of the water. Cars were parked across the sand in front of the house. Jacob found a spot near the back and quickly pulled in. As soon as he cut the engine, the music could be heard. Jacob looked at me warily. He told Julia and Cameron to go ahead, but pulled me back to him when I tried to follow.

"Nessie, look," he sighed, casting nervous glances over my shoulder at the house. He swallowed thickly and I watched his Adams Apple bob up and down, mesmerized.

"This party is a lot different than yours, okay? There are no parents, a lot of kids, and alcohol, probably drugs. I need to know right now that you're going to tell me if you become even the slightest bit uncomfortable, no matter what. We can leave right now if you want to. We don't have to do this, it's completely up to you. Just, please, don't leave my side tonight, okay? I'm not trying to sound like an asshole, I'm just trying to look out for you. Stay with me, or Julia and Cameron. Just don't-"

I brought his lips to mine to shut him up. Because, honestly? I was ready to have some fun and he was sort of bringing me down.

"Jacob," I breathed huskily, peppering kisses across his face, "you have my word. Can we go in now?"

He nodded distractedly, his eyes trained on my mouth as I licked my lips. I clasped his hand in mine and tugged once to lead him forward. He shook his head slightly and took the lead, holding the front door open for me where we were met with the sound of _Bottoms Up _by TreySongz. Jacob was immediately assaulted with high-fives, sluttish girls, and those weird one-armed man hugs.

He pulled me into the kitchen where we saw Julia and Cameron, already with red cups in hand, chatting amiably with a group of people, Cameron gesturing wildly about something as Julia laughed at his side. Jacob poured a beer for himself and raised a questioning brow in my direction. I shrugged, answering his unspoken question, and he poured me the same.

I played nervously with the rounded edge of the cup, staring down at the brown liquid sloshing around inside. Jacob placed a finger under my chin, forcing me to look into the depths of his deep brown eyes. He closed his eyes and placed a kiss to my forehead, then repeated the same kiss to my lips. He smirked and winked, pulling me over to the group of people, next to Cameron and Julia.

Jacob draped an arm around my waist, pulling my body flush against his. He contributed to the conversation occasionally. Every so often, he would lean down and whisper something in my ear that would make me blush.

I tried to ignore the smell of beer on his breath as I slowly sipped my own.

After a while, Todd pulled Jacob to the back of the house, where a door that had been removed from the wall was being used for a game of beer pong.

"We need one more player, Black, you in?" Todd yelled loudly over _Like A G6_ by Far East Movement pulsing through the speakers. Jacob smirked, nodded, and released my hand for the first time that night.

Todd, seeming to finally realize that I was standing there, smiled at me. "Hey, birthday girl, you playin' too?"

I'm sure my smile looked more like a grimace, but I shook my head just as Jacob distracted him with some inane question. He threw me a wink and squared off against his opponents. Jacob was pretty good at the game; I'm sure he didn't drink more than two cups of beer before being declared the winner. Which means, that by the end of the game, Todd was quite drunk, and honestly, a little scary. I stood closely behind Jacob as he excused us and linked his fingers with my own.

On our journey back to the kitchen, he paused and craned his neck around to see the door to the bathroom open. He looked back to me and gave a small smile.

"I'll only be a minute, I swear. Just wait here," he said, leading me by my shoulders to stand against the wall opposite the open door.

As the door closed, I leaned back against the wall and expelled all the air from my lungs. I would never tell Jacob, but being here, with everyone becoming increasingly more intoxicated, was starting to scare me. So yeah, I lied to him, but I wasn't going to ruin his fun. There was too few times I could see him really let go anymore. All because of _him._ Which basically meant it was all because of _me_.

"Hey Nessie," a sugary sweet voice said next to me. I whipped my head around to find Bethany there, a fake smile plastered on her face, a matching red cup to mine in her perfectly manicured hands.

"Hi Bethany," I replied, trying my hardest to be civil towards the bitch.

"So, your party was pretty cool. Nothing like Todd's, of course, but I mean, no one really expected anything like that from you, so I guess, you know…," she trailed off, unable to finish her insult as I just stood there, nodding my head like one of those bobble head dogs you see perched on people's dashboards.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes as she brushed past me, back to the bitch I knew she was. I sighed, again, and sunk a little lower against the wall. I focused on flipping the edges of the cup up as I waited for Jacob to finish up.

"Hey, Nessie, right?" a small voice asked from the opposite side Bethany had appeared on.

I turned to my left to find a short girl with black, spiky hair, streaks of neon running throughout. She smiled brightly at me and I found myself smiling back easily.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, do I know you?" I asked, apologetic towards the small girl.

She giggled. "No, but I know you. My name's Cassidy. I just saw you talking to Bethany and I know how exhausting that can be. I wanted to make sure that you were okay. Maybe you'd like to come hang out with me and my friends for a while? A quieter atmosphere?"

I glanced at the still closed bathroom door, sucking my bottom lip into my mouth. "I don't know…I'm supposed to wait here for my boyfriend."

She smiled beatifically, and I wondered how anyone would deny her anything. "I'm sure Jacob wouldn't mind sharing you for a while. You could invite him as well if you'd like."

I didn't question the fact that she knew Jacob; I figured that was how she knew me, anyway. I shifted glances between Cassidy and the door, internally debating. A quieter atmosphere sounded like Heaven right now, but Jacob would be mad if he came out of the bathroom and I wasn't where he had left me. _God, now he sounds like some controlling asshole._

Cassidy, sensing my hesitation, hurried to reassure me. "You totally don't have to if you don't want to. I know how Todd's parties can be a little overwhelming to a newbie and I was just offering a quieter place to chill for a while. It's totally cool if you'd rather stay with Jacob, I completely understand."

I exhaled and looked at the brown liquid swirling in the red cup. _What the hell am I doing? This isn't me._ "You know what? A quieter place sounds perfect."

Cassidy beamed. "Perfect."

She grasped my hand in her small one and pulled me down a dark hallway to a set of stairs that led to the basement.

"Hey guys," she said as she pulled me into the room filled with a thick fog, "I brought fresh meat."

**Edward's POV**

"Emmett!" I yelled as I ran down the hallway towards his door. I didn't bother to knock before I threw it open, which could have been a very bad thing, but I got lucky.

Emmett was standing at the foot of the bed, sporting black jeans and tennis shoes, a black long sleeve shirt in his hands. He grinned widely, matching my own.

"They're gone," he said happily, as he slipped his shirt on.

I looked him up and down and raised a brow in question.

"Little bro, I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about stake-outs tonight. Lesson number one: dress to fit the atmosphere. For example, it is dark outside, hence the dark clothing. Now, get that ass of yours into some real clothes, and commit to this like a real man!"

Jasper materialized at my side just as Emmett brushed past me, running down the stairs like a little kid on Christmas. Jasper and I exchanged glances, shrugged and ran down after him.

"Edward Anthony."

I froze as I heard the voice of an unhappy Bella behind me. I turned slowly, my gaze sheepish and apologetic, my lower lip jutted out slightly in that way I knew she couldn't resist.

"No, no, don't even try it. You promised me that you would not do this, Edward. Can't you let them have some fun? Or do you not remember my sixteenth birthday? Hmm?" she wondered, tapping her foot impatiently as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"But Bella, Nessie promised that they were going to stay in. She broke the promise first!" I whined, resisting the urge I had to stomp my foot. As it was I did flip Emmett and Jasper the bird as they snickered at me.

"Edward, Renesmee had no idea what was going on this evening, you know this as well as I do. Besides, it was silly of you to make her make that promise when you knew what was coming. I blame you," she said, as she narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger in my direction.

Like her words were some sort of code, Rosalie and Alice appeared on either side of her, both wearing similar expressions of displeasure. Emmett and Jasper frowned simultaneously.

I took a few steps forward until I could take Bella's hands in my own. I kissed her knuckles gently, watching as her hard exterior cracked. Repressing a smile, I ducked my head to meet her gaze.

"Bella, love. Please, I only want to make sure that they're okay. I promise to return as soon as I gather that they are," I cupped her face in my hand and rubbed soothing circles on her soft cheek.

She sighed in submission. "Fine. I'm giving you one hour and I want that ass of yours back to me and in bed. Understood?"

I nodded vigorously and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Love you!" I called behind me as the three of us ran to Jasper's black Ferrari. Jasper slid smoothly onto the leather of the seat, not bothering to wait for us to be seated before starting the car. The 612 growled to life beneath us, making us all groan in appreciation.

Todd's house, or rather, his grandparent's, wasn't far at all from the house we occupied. It was approximately the same size, though it was older and wooden, aged by the years of water lapping at it from behind.

It was easy to find Cameron's car, the Civic sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the prized possessions of teens. Jasper pulled onto a patch of sand across the street, rolling down the windows, cutting the engine, and listening as the silence was elapsed by a thudding bass emanating from the house. I could faintly make out the melody of _Cherry Pie _by Warrant pulsing around us.

For a while, we sat in silence. I watched in horror as a girl, by the looks of it, leaned over the railing of the porch and expelled all of her stomach's contents, tarnishing one of her peer's cars. Another kid took one step down the stairs and tripped, rolling freely down the remainder of the steps. No one bothered to check on him, or offer their assistance, merely laughed as he stood up and yelled slurred words at the object of his disdain.

Jasper ran a hand across his face, this type of thing exactly what peeved him most. Emmett rubbed his hands together, like a plan was formulating in his head, but I shot him a look in the rear view mirror and shook my head slightly. His mood deflated, but he still gazed in wonder at the party in front of us.

Jasper sighed, an angry sound from his calm form. "Parties were never this rough when we were kids, were they?"

I grimaced as one of the kids that had laughed at the boy falling down the steps pushed a red cup into the hands of the girl who had emptied her stomach over the railing.

Shaking my head as we pulled away, I answered, "No. This is much, much worse."

**Jacob's POV**

"Cameron, please, tell me you know where she is," I pleaded, raking my fingers desperately through my short hair.

He furrowed his brow in confusion, not ceasing his movements with Julia, his hands firmly planted on her thin waist, her hand fisted in the hair on the nape of his neck, back to front. His gaze flickered behind me, next to me, over my shoulder, before understanding lit his features.

"You lost her," he said, no accusation, or question, simply a statement of fact.

"I didn't _lose _her," I snapped harshly, "I went to the bathroom, and when I came out, she was gone."

He nodded, unfazed by my callous demeanor. With a cocky smirk on his lips, he leaned down and whispered something in Julia's ear. She laughed loudly, throwing her head back, before her twinkling brown eyes met mine.

"I saw her with Cassidy before. I'm not sure where they went…," she trailed off, frowned suddenly, then moaned, "Crap. They're in the basement."

Not bothering to see if they were following, I made an abrupt about face and pushed my way through the gyrating bodies to the dark hallway that led to a smoke-filled basement. It was there that I found her, seated on a frayed couch, nestled between an eager Todd and an uninterested Cassidy.

Nessie chatted blithely to Cassidy, absentmindedly pushing away Todd's grasping hands. It was clear to me that Cassidy was on some sort of high, the secondhand effects having made their way to Nessie as well, but Todd sat, uninfluenced, causing the most damage.

I breathed her name, barely loud enough to be heard if she was standing next to me, let alone across the room. Nonetheless, her head snapped up, her glassy eyes met mine, and she smiled a smile so breathtakingly beautiful.

"Jacob!" she chirped, staggering to her feet as Todd's hands fell limply to the sofa, a smug smile flashing across his face.

I locked my hand firmly around her waist, tugging her gently, silently, up the stairs with me. She kissed my cheek sloppily, giggling as we passed through the crowd of our dancing peers.

As she babbled endlessly in my ear, listening to my faint murmurs of encouragement, I pulled her into a vacant bedroom, sat her on the edge of the bed, closed the door behind us. I raked a hand down my face as she continued talking, about nothing and everything all at once, her tone changing from elated to angry to hurt, and back again.

After a while, she paused, and I turned to see her with her feet hanging off the bed, her torso lined against the edge, her small hands covering her face. I moved soundlessly to crouch in front of her. I took her left hand in mine first, kissing her ring, before twining the fingers of her right hand with mine.

Her face was flushed, her bottom lip captured in her teeth. She was biting so hard it was turning white. She glanced around the room nervously, panic written clearly across her features. It confused me, to say the least, and I placed a kiss to her temple, helping her slowly sit up.

A slow grin crept onto her face, replacing the panic, and she quickly got to her feet, standing over me. She pulled me to my feet with our hands that were still entwined.

Looking up from under her lashes, lust flashing in those deep brown eyes, she pleaded, "Kiss me."

I complied.

The kiss soon turned to touching, and touching led to more touching. Her back was pressed against the wall, her chest against mine, my fingers working her expertly, pulling her closer to the edge with every curl of my fingers, my beckoning call.

"Oh fuck Jacob," she moaned, climaxing beautifully around my fingers. I kissed her quiet, capturing all of my name and curse words. I slowly brought her down from her high, peppering kisses across the exposed skin of her collarbone, her neck, anywhere I could reach.

Her tiny hand worked the button and fly of my jeans skillfully, quickly reaching into my boxers to enclose me in her warm palm. I shook my head, denying her and myself. She pouted and pleaded, but I pulled her hand from me, buttoned my pants before doing the same for her.

I emerged from the bedroom, disgusted with myself for having given into her in her state. She trailed behind me unhappily, her fingers hooked into a belt loop on the back of my jeans. She spotted Cameron and Julia at the same time I did, and she tripped and stumbled her way towards them, the bass under her feet making her already unstable steps worse.

I didn't fight Cameron on driving; he seemed more clearheaded than I had all night. Julia and Nessie whispered furiously in the backseat, with wild hand gestures and hard facial expressions. Luckily, Julia caused a vociferous laugh to bubble from her lips. On the down side, it was just as we were entering the house.

I quickly clasped a hand over her mouth, ignoring her sweet tongue dancing patterns across my rough skin, the way her mouth vibrated with her laugh. We all paused simultaneously, waiting. The house was quiet, save for Nessie's muted giggling and useless wiggling against my hold.

I piggy-backed her up the stairs, not trusting her to walk safely up the stairs. Cameron kept a hand safely clamped over her mouth, trailing right on my heels, Julia's hand clasped in his free one.

I set her on the edge of the bed, and she stood immediately, pulling at the hem of her sweater, the button of her jeans, pushing me to the edge of the bed while her lips sought mine. I sighed and captured her hands, halting her movements. I crawled to the center of the bed, pulled her into my lap and rocked her gently. I placed kisses on her cheek, whispering calming words to her as I waited for her to regain some semblance of control.

Her body slackened and she leaned against me, her mouth parted as sleep found her. I removed her shoes from her feet and slipped the blanket down to lie her on the sheets. She nuzzled into the pillow, her hand reaching blindly behind her. I twined my fingers with hers, listening to her sigh of contentment. I kicked off my own shoes and pulled her close to my chest as an alcohol induced sleep overcame me.

**Renesmee's POV**

For once, I slept free of a nightmare. It may have been the fact that I was pressed close against Jacob, or perhaps my head was pounding much too hard to dredge up memories in my subconscious mind. I saw either reason as valid, but only one was causing me to groan and bury my head in my pillow.

I flinched as the bedroom door flew open, loud footsteps crossing the space to my bed as Emmett yelled out, "Good morning, Renesmee's bedroom!"

I cracked one eye open and promptly shut it again, the light much too bright in the room. Jacob groaned and rolled over on the bed, away from me.

Suddenly, Emmett's face was right in front of me and I groaned, pushing it away. He laughed boisterously and pranced out of my room, loud seeming to be his only volume setting.

I sighed and stepped onto the hardwood slowly, wary of the way my mind spun and my stomach churned. Jacob watched me through one eye as I tip-toed to my duffel bag to remove clean clothing, before disappearing into the bathroom.

!#$#!

The day was spent on the boardwalk, my sunglasses firmly in place even with the overcast sky, my head on Jacob's shoulder, his hand wrapped tenderly around mine. I was showered with birthday gifts, and wishes.

Rosalie gave me an entire new outfit, down to the shoes and accessories, much to my protest. The dress was gorgeous, of course, and she assured me that it would come into great use.

Alice granted me with an entire room redecoration, despite my rebuttal. It was entirely too much, but she would have none of it. I was also gifted with a glittery card from Auden, an 'I love you' written largely on one side. Jordan put a Spider Man sticker on the opposite side and signed his name.

Cameron gave me a CD of his band, Caustic. He told me that track number five was specifically for me, but he didn't say anything more after glancing around the table we were seated at in Olive Garden. Julia made a scrapbook of us, from the time we met when we were nine, up until just a few weeks ago.

Edward and Bella had already given me my gift, obviously, as did Jacob. I thanked each person in turn, hugging and kissing them before returning to my seat. Jacob snaked his hand into mine and kissed me tenderly.

The ride home was a silent one, blanketed by a soft sorrow. I feared returning home, to the place where my nightmares were looming realities, the metaphorical sword over my head. I sighed as we pulled into the driveway, Peyton's excited babble contradicting my feelings.

I trudged quietly upstairs and kneeled on the floor next to Jasmine, running my fingers through her soft black fur, comfort. I vaguely remembered the way I had run my fingers through Jacob's hair, lustily, just the night before, and hotness seeped into my skin, beneath it, winding down to my very core.

I went for a quick run with Jasmine, to clear my body of the ecstasy that Jacob had implanted deep within me. The way he made me feel should be a crime. As I collapsed on my bed, Jasmine curled up at the end, I caught a blinking light from the corner of my eye: my cell phone.

It stated that I had one new voicemail, and instead of checking the number, I quickly typed in the code and listened to what the generic female voice told me.

It started as silence, the type of silence that was an uncomfortable pressure on your ears, pressing hard, deep into your skull. I waited with baited breath for words, something, anything. Just as I was ready to pull the phone away from my ear, a chuckle, sinister in tone, echoed to me, and my breathing paused.

More silence. Then, just as the message nearly cut off from the length, the voice of my nightmares rang through, marring the once happy words. My father's tone one of pleasure as he undoubtedly drained the semblance of hope I held foolishly in my heart.

"_Happy birthday, Renesmee."_

* * *

_A/N: Sooo, part two. Yup, yup. I don't have anything to say, except, again, Hunter, this is for you.  
Please, vote. It's just two clicks of a mouse, I'm begging you. Also, in your review, if you have a request for another one of my stories to be updated, let me know. I'll do what I can, I always do.  
Reviews speak volumes, my heart swells as I read them.  
Love,  
Kelly_


	7. Chapter 6

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 6 - Sweet Dreams

**Renesmee's POV**

"_Please," I whispered, as a tear rolled down my cheek, landing on my shaking hand, pointed towards him._

_His smirk was ever-prominent as he glanced towards the shaking gun in my hands. His eyes held no hint of panic as he took a step towards me, my finger flexing automatically on the trigger. His gaze flickered briefly over my shoulder, his smirk widening, before his eyes landed on mine once again._

"_Now, now, Renesmee, let's not get carried away," he chuckled lightheartedly, "Just hand over the gun and this can all be over quickly."_

_I shook my head vigorously as he took another step towards me. "Stay back," I warned him in a voice that was supposed to sound menacing, but really sounded like a five-year-old afraid of getting in trouble for what they were doing._

_His smile faltered as he took a deliberate step in my direction, his eyes flashing. "I said, give me the gun."_

_I shook my head again and took a step back to compensate, literally backing myself into a corner. He grinned in triumph, taking another step towards me. He held his hand out for the gun, like you would for a dog that you wanted to pet._

_As he lunged forward to take the gun from my grasp, it all happened very fast. The pale skin turned the shade of russet, the hair darkening to a black as dark as midnight. But all of this made no connection in my mind as my finger reflexively pulled the trigger. _

_He staggered backwards as the bullet hit dead center of his heart. His eyes, no longer the clouded green eyes of my father, but the all-knowing brown eyes of Jacob, rolled back in his head as he fell limp on the floor. _

_I dropped the gun and slid down the wall, a horrified scream falling from my lips, as I watched the last remnants of life drain from Jacob._

!#$#!

It was the same dream I'd had repeatedly since that phone call. The only changing detail was the person that he inevitably morphed into as he died. It had been Jacob, Edward, Bella, even Cameron or Julia a few times. This, of course, wasn't as terrifying, or confusing, as the single time that it happened to be Peyton, or some other seemingly random family member. Nonetheless, it still managed to scare me.

I hadn't told anyone about the phone call; there was no reason for them all to worry more than they already were. Soon, though, the phone call turned into phone _calls, _and it took a great amount of willpower to push them to the back of my mind and not let others in on the secret.

Jacob could tell that something was bothering me, but he let it slide - most of the time. There were times where he'd find my phone across the room from where I stood, fuming, having thrown the damn thing, and he would demand an explanation. I'd mutter my way through a line of crap and then storm out of the room.

To distract myself, I threw all of my free time into preparing for the talent show. Jacob and I had decided on S_hine _by The Morning Of, and had also thought it would be a much better performance if I played the piano, and we sang a cappella. Though we had months to prepare, it proved to save me many nights of crying myself to sleep over the turn my seemingly perfect life had taken, if I started now.

Jacob didn't pretend to understand, but he didn't question it either. He did everything that he could to keep me happy, and I loved him for that. Jacob was, literally, keeping me sane. Julia and Cameron helped on that front as well, but there were certain things that they just couldn't do, and Jacob more than made up for that fact.

Along with talking more, our physical relationship had progressed as well. After Todd's party, it was pretty clear that we both needed a little more from each other. So, Jacob drew the line, and though we both overstepped it at times, we were trying. And trying was the best we could do, because though Jacob knew what he was doing, when it came to me, he admitted that he honestly had no clue. If our relationship could have a soundtrack, it would undoubtedly be Madonna's _Like A Virgin._

I was doing my best to spur him on in the right direction, but that usually only earned me a glare, or on a good day, a low moan. So I devised a plan.

The outfit that Rosalie bought me for my birthday remained untouched in it's box. When she said it would be of great use, I didn't doubt her in the slightest. Let's call this Phase 1.

Phase 2 would consist of bringing Jacob back to my place, and getting him 'in the mood' in whatever possible way. And then I hoped, that Phase 3 would involve some pretty intense, well, whatever happened. Lord knows we both needed it.

There was a knock on my bedroom door just as I was pulling the zipper into place. I pulled my hair forward, turned down the sound of Chiodos coming from my stereo, and traipsed over to the door. I smiled reflexively as I took in Jacob's appearance, perfect as usual.

His light wash, destructed jeans hung low on his hips, the band of his boxers peeking out playfully. The deep red, slight v-neck sweater he wore clung tightly to his arms and somewhat to his chest, emphasizing the muscles hiding beneath. Black Vans, his only pair, graced his feet as he propped one foot up, leaning against the doorjamb with an amused expression.

"Good morning, beautiful," he smirked, placing a chaste kiss to my forehead before walking around me to sit on the edge of my bed.

Shaking my head clear of all the ideas of what I could do to him on my bed - or better yet, what he could do to me - I walked into my closet to gather the finishing touches for my outfit.

After slipping into my white peep-toe, sling back heels, I walked over to Jacob and grabbed his hand, pulling him up from where he had fallen backward on my bed. He smirked as he looked me up and down and I shifted under his gaze, a blush rising in my cheeks as I worried my bottom lip. With my small hand encased in his firm grasp, I collected my purse and books, and turned for the door.

"Um, Nessie, aren't you forgetting something?" Jacob asked, his eyes alight with mirth.

I frowned and looked down at myself. Was I missing something? Dress, shoes, jewelry, hair's done…nope.

I furrowed my brow and shook my head slowly. "No?"

"Honey, I think that dress might cause a bit of a problem at school. It's strapless," he pointed out with a grin, running his finger over the exposed skin of my collarbone and shoulder.

I blushed and giggled in embarrassment. "Oh. Yeah, right."

After grabbing the cropped, long sleeve white sweater from the box, I grabbed Jacob's hand again and led him downstairs. I said a quick goodbye to Edward and Peyton, asked him to please tell the same to Bella when she awoke, grabbed an apple, and marched out the front door while pulling my sweater on.

The truck growled to life beneath us and I fiddled with the radio, chatting quietly with Jacob on the way to school. Growing annoyed by my constant changing of the station, he grabbed my hand and lightly brushed his lips across my knuckles, chuckling when he heard me stutter in my breathing. I pouted and pulled my hand back, crossing my arms over my chest in an annoyed huff, hating and loving the hold he had on me. I carefully averted my eyes from his face, knowing that I'd give up whatever pointless battle I was trying to win if I looked at him.

He parked in the same spot he did every morning, and took my hand as we walked towards the school. I gently swung out entwined hands, smirking when his football friends called out to him.

"I like you wearing heels," he said suddenly as he leaned against his locker, next to mine. He twirled a section of my straightened hair around his finger, pulling on it when I ignored his statement.

I smirked as I straightened out and closed my locker. Jacob narrowed his eyes at me in annoyance and I returned the glare half-heartedly. I sighed, giving in to the power of his dark eyes.

"Okay, Jacob, I'll bite. Why do you like me wearing heels?" I sighed, leaning my head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm securely around my waist.

"Because," he said simply. He stopped in the middle of the hallway, students parting around us, and turned me to face him, grasping my face in his hands. "It's a lot easier to do this."

Kissing Jacob would never get old, I was sure of it. The way his lips molded tenderly to mine, the way his rough hands held my face, as though I would shatter if he wasn't too careful. Of course, I always liked the way his sighs and moans swept straight through me, nearly making my knees buckle.

He pulled away with a knowing smirk on his face, placing one last chaste kiss on my still puckered lips. I pouted and blushed as I tripped when he pulled me along behind him. He kissed me once more as he pulled my chair out for me in study hall. Sweeping the hair behind my ear, he promised to see me soon and then disappeared down the hallway to his own class.

Study hall passed the same way it did everyday: slowly. I studied for a quiz that I was having in History, and finished the remainder of my math assignment from the previous day. I ignored the hushed murmurs and sneers of my name, and comments that I wasn't quite sure if I was meant to hear or not.

I sighed, because, if I was being honest, the 'high school drama' part of high school was something that I could do entirely without.

After one last boisterous laugh from Bethany's 'minions', I pushed all my school work aside, crossed my legs under the table, and laid my head down on my folded arms to endure the remainder of the period.

As I pushed there jeering to the back of my mind, I wondered what the big deal was anyway. As my eyes pricked with tears that I wouldn't shed, I wondered why I let it bother me.

As I closed my eyes and thought of Jacob, I wondered how I got so lucky.

!#$#!

It hadn't necessarily been a bad day, but then again it hadn't been an entirely good day, either. For some reason, Bethany's harsh words had gotten to me, and I was agitated as I entered the lunchroom, sans Jacob, and noticed only Julia and Cameron sitting at our usual table. I pulled out the chair designated as mine, not even bothering to stop the shiver-inducing sound it produced, and plopped unceremoniously onto it.

Julia threw me a tentative smile and I returned it with a tight-lipped nod of the head. Cameron narrowed his eyes at me and opened his mouth to no doubt call me out on my behavior, but stopped as Jacob threw himself into the chair next to me.

He threw his arm around the back of my chair and kissed me on the temple before turning his attention to Cameron with a question. Julia watched me curiously from the corner of her eye as she pulled apart her bologna sandwich.

I discarded my own sandwich in the trash can nearest our table, opting for just the Oreo cookies inside the brown paper bag. Jacob's hand began to inch towards the small Ziploc bag, and I playfully smacked it away, sending a half-hearted scowl his way. He simply grinned and tightened his hold on me, snatching a cookie from the bag.

As I twisted the cookie apart and licked at the cream spread across one half, I sighed. I shouldn't let Bethany get to me. _She was just too damn insecure, and she had to cast it off on others to feel better about herself_. I relaxed and realized that I didn't need to let her win.

"Oreos are like an orgasm in my mouth," I blurted unexpectedly, as I stared at the white cream.

Jacob choked on the cookie in his mouth, Cameron spit chocolate milk, and Julia's eyes went wide before her and Cameron burst into a fit of vociferous laughter. I blushed under Jacob's heavy stare, and slid my eyes slowly to meet his shocked expression.

"What?" he breathed, almost as if he was hoping I would say that they had all misunderstood me.

"Oreos are like an orgasm in my mouth?" I said, though it sounded more like a question. Cameron and Julia grew louder in their laughter, and it looked as though Cameron was near tears.

I gave an indignant huff and an internal smile at lightening my mood. "Well it is! Think about it, I mean, all that white cream in your mouth…."

Cameron paused in his hysterics long enough to sputter out a, "You're nasty," before dropping his head on the table. I shrugged at his comment and continued to eat the other half of my cookie. Julia rolled her eyes and smacked Cameron upside the head muttering, "It wasn't _that_ funny."

Jacob gave me an odd look before his attention was captured again by Cameron. I threw Julia a wide smile as her accusing glare fell upon me. She tore a piece of her sandwich angrily, stuffing it in her mouth without breaking eye contact.

I knew that the wrath of Julia was to fall upon me, the way I acted coming into the cafeteria. I twirled a section of my hair around my fingers nervously, worrying my bottom lip. As she gave me her signature _I'm-Julia-and-you're-going-to-tell-me-what's-going-on-right-now _look, I wracked my brain for some distraction. There was one thing that I had been meaning to ask her about, mainly since my birthday party a few weeks prior, though I doubted now was quite the appropriate time or place to ask.

Still, I found my mouth opening, and asking, "Did it hurt?"

She paused with her hand halfway to her mouth. Her face went from confusion, to understanding, to embarrassed, to _are-you-fucking-serious-right-now_? A blush crept up her neck and settle along the apples of her cheeks, her eyes shifting around my face, unable to land on my eyes.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked, her eyes trained on the Sunny D bottle in front of me.

I crossed my legs and ran my finger along the hem of my dress, my eyes following the movement. "I dunno, just curious. I want to know what to expect when the time comes."

She choked on a laugh, her blush increasing as her eyes slid to mine. "Are you really asking me this right now?"

I shrugged one shoulder as nonchalantly as I could manage as my own blush settled gently on my cheeks. "I've been meaning to ask you for a while now. I mean, we talk about everything and I figured that this wouldn't be any different."

"No, of course not," she muttered, flicking a button on her black and white plaid shirt. She cleared her throat and licked her lips as she rested her elbow on the lunch table, her hand kneading her neck. Her eyes remained downcast as her eyebrows creased. "I don't think now is a particularly good time, or place, to talk about it though."

I crossed my arms over my chest. My irritation was growing, though the topic wasn't one that I had meant quite so seriously. "Why not? It's not like anyone's listening to us, and even if they were, what's the chance that they could hear us?"

She strained to hear the last part of my argument as the lunchroom erupted with applause, for no apparent reason, merely proving my point. I raised a brow and watched as she mimicked my pose, leaning back, arms crossed tight over her chest.

We stared each other down silently, Cameron and Jacob both seemingly oblivious to our feud. A small voice in the back of my mind warned me that this was being blown entirely out of proportion, but I pushed it down. It was now only morbid curiosity as to why she wouldn't answer my question - a simple yes or no would have done just fine - though there was anger bubbling behind that at her evasive action.

"Damn it, Ness," Julia nearly yelled, slamming her hands hard against the table, gaining both boys attention. "Yeah, it hurt, okay? It hurt a fucking lot. But if you think it's going to help you any with the real thing, you're mistaken. You're not ready for it."

My eyes snapped up to meet her gaze, my eyes flashing, as Cameron slipped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him, whispering, "What hurt, baby?" Julia ground her teeth in frustration as she continued to stare at me.

"What makes you think that I'm not ready? How could you possibly know if _I'm _ready or not? This isn't about you, this is about me," I retorted, stabbing my finger towards my chest when I referred to myself.

Her nostrils flared and she threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Then what the fuck did you ask me for?"

I slammed my hands down on the table, aware of the tables surrounding us enraptured by the two of us, and leaned forward. "Maybe I was hoping for a little support, not to be talked to like a child who doesn't know what the hell they're doing! This is my decision!"

She clenched her jaw and held her hand up to Cameron as he opened his mouth, adding in a quieter tone, "I just think that now is not the right time. Look Ness, I don't want to fight with you. Just understand that the first time may be a one time thing, but there are certain things and feelings that come with it that are going to last forever. And you're just not ready for that."

I leaned back in my chair, seething silently as Cameron and Jacob exchanged wary glances across the table. Jacob rubbed small circles on my back, trying his damndest to calm me down.

"Julia, baby, tell m-" Cameron started, but I interrupted him with a grumbled, "It's fine." Julia and I continued to stare at each other, oblivious to what was going on around us. The anger was subsiding, and all that was left was a dull ache from angry words spewed forth like venom from our mouths.

I was the first to break the trance, glancing down at my fisted hand on my thigh, nails biting into skin in the shape of tiny crescent marks. I flattened out my hand and smoothed it down the skirt of my dress, feeling remorse wash over me for the way I had treated my best friend.

As I glanced up to see her and Cameron having some sort of silent exchange, I realized that she was right. I definitely wasn't ready for this, _that. _

But that didn't mean I wasn't going to do it anyway.

!#$#!

Todd had been what I'd like to call a 'special asshole' today. He'd made lewd comments about what the dress made easy for him to do to me. He copped a feel as I was walking upstairs after study hall. He bent down as I crouched to exchange books from my locker. All of this wasn't too much of a bother, though, except that he only did it when Jacob was standing next to me. And I wasn't so much of an idiot that I didn't know what he was doing.

So it didn't surprise me much when someone pushed me a little as I was walking towards my locker, causing my books to fall to the floor, along with myself. The sharp smack that was my hands connecting with the floor caused most everyone to turn and look, some snicker, others murmur comments that made my face flush.

Todd, being the 'funny' guy he is, stood directly in front of me, bringing my face to his crotch level as I rested on my knees to collect my scattered books and folders. "You know," he said thoughtfully, pushing his hips forward, "there's only one thing you should be doing on your knees right about now."

I focused my gaze on collecting my things as he continued on, the hallway erupting with laughter and applause at his comments. I looked up to see Cameron coming down the stairs, a frown on his face as he saw me. Instead of waiting to get to the bottom, he jumped over the rail, landing directly behind me before helping me gather the rest of my books.

"You okay?" he asked gently as I kept my stare centered on the task at hand. I nodded slowly, holding my books tightly to my chest, and my eyes downcast, as Cameron extended and hand and helped me to my feet.

It really was pure coincidence that Jacob happened to walk around the corner at that time. Jacob's last class and mine were on opposite sides of the building, therefore it took him longer to get to our lockers than it did for me. And any other day it would have bothered me, but on the day I wished he would be just a little bit slower was the day he was a little bit early, a scowl fixed firmly in place.

"What the hell is your problem?" he asked, stepping in front of me and towering over Todd, who didn't seem bothered in the slightest to be the object of Jacob's disgust.

"Relax Black, Ness and I were just having a little fun, weren't we, sweetheart?" he asked, leaning around Jacob to throw me a wink. I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth and chewed it nervously as his gesture made my skin crawl.

"Listen Matthews," Jacob spat his name as he stabbed a finger at his chest, "learn some fucking respect. How many times does she have to tell you she's not interested before you get the hint? Get. The fuck. Over it. She's mine," he added with a growl.

Todd took a step forwards and stared up at him, daring him with his eyes to make a move. I glanced nervously between the two of them, the tension building, aware of Cameron's hand on my arm, trying to pull me in the opposite direction.

"Is that so?" Todd challenged, to which Jacob replied with a curt nod of his head. "Well, then I suggest you keep your whore in line."

I saw it coming. I knew it was going to happen. But time seemed to stand still for an infinitesimal moment, where Jacob's eyes went black and deadly and pulled his fist back.

But Todd saw it coming too, and dodged the fist that flew in his direction as Cameron pulled me backwards into his chest, away from the two. Jacob was fast though, and compensated the miss by swinging his left hand around. Todd wasn't so lucky that time. Jacob's fist connected with Todd's nose with a sickening, yet strangely satisfying crunch, followed my a stream of blood and slew of curse words.

Todd's hand connected with the side of Jacob's face a moment later, and I watched in horror as his face met the hand rail of the stairs with an echoed _thud _that shot straight through me. Cameron pushed me backwards a step and stepped between the two, placing a hand on both of their chests, pushing them apart. He gave each of them a hard glare, then pushed Jacob back towards me, not turning from Todd until we were safely around the corner.

My emotions went from horrified, to angry, upset, to sickeningly worried. I watched Jacob from the corner of my eye as he cradled the left side of his head in his hands, wincing as he touched it.

I'd never understood the expression 'see red' before. Until now, that is. I'd never been a particularly violent person, more-so passive aggressive. But knowing that Todd was the one who had put _my_ Jacob in pain like that, I wanted to make him feel the same way he made Jacob feel. Of course, taking into account the swing that Jacob had gotten in did qualm my anger, if only temporarily. It flared again as I thought about Jacob being so stupid to start a fight in the first place.

Jacob didn't fight me when I told him to hand over the keys. He climbed into the passenger seat quietly, shooting nervous glances my way as he took in the angry set of my mouth.

The ride to my house was entirely silent, save for the road whizzing by beneath the tires of the truck and our breaths. The radio remained off and we didn't speak. The longer I sat, the more upset I became. _How could he be so stupid? Did he not realize this would probably lead to a suspension?_

I groaned silently in frustration. If Todd was difficult before today, the future looked dark and ominous. _Dramatic? Perhaps_. But there was also truth in that. Todd had a flair for the dramatic, and loved all the attention on him. He was going to milk this for all that it was worth, and then some. He was going to paint Jacob as the bad guy, say the fight was 'unprovoked', leaving out all the crude things he had said and done throughout the day. Yeah, Todd was good. But I could only hope that Jacob was better.

And if his physical fighting skills were as good as his mental, than he would have no problem. Because if I were to be honest, if I hadn't been so scared seeing him fighting, I probably would have fucked him right then and there. It was by far the sexiest thing I had ever seen. That probably makes me some kind of sick fuck, but what can I say? Jacob knows how to handle himself, and that level of confidence is hot.

I didn't wait for Jacob to exit the truck before walking into my house and throwing my things down on the kitchen table. I kicked off my heels, scarcely missing hitting Jasmine in the head, and threw the freezer door open. Wrapping an ice pack in a hand towel, I sat up on the island and gestured with a pointed finger for Jacob to sit in the stool in front of me.

He sat without complaint, his eyes searching my face. I focused on the small, one inch gash at the top of his head that had already stopped bleeding, leaving a trail of blood down the side of his face. I slowly brought the ice pack to his head, watching for any signs of his discomfort to back off.

When there weren't any, I relaxed a little and cupped his head in my hands, hyper-aware of his hands on my thighs. I shifted slightly, rubbing my thighs together and cleared my throat, weary of the way his hands were moving slowly up my thighs.

He sighed, his sweet breath wafting over my face and looked at me from under his long, dark lashes. "Nessie-" he started, but I cut him off.

"What the hell were you thinking, Jacob?" I cried, my forehead meeting his in desperate need to feel him on every inch of my skin.

He chuckled once, raising an eyebrow, and wincing at the pain it caused. He licked his lips and sighed, cupping the side of my face in his warm, rough hand. "Baby, I love you. What Todd said to you was utterly unacceptable, and I needed him to know as much. I wouldn't have started it if I didn't think I was going to walk away just fine."

I raised an incredulous brow and my eyes flicked to the ice pack resting near his temple. He sighed and shook his head slowly. "That's nothing. All that I was worried about was you, and making sure that he understood what he was doing to you was not okay." He smirked, "I think a broken nose will be a good reminder."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at my lips. _Men._ I removed the ice pack from his head, grimacing at the angry red line that tainted his beautiful skin. I reached into a drawer on the other side of the island and pulled out the first aid kit we kept there.

Jacob winced only slightly as I dabbed on the antiseptic. I placed a butterfly Band-Aid over the offending line and placed a small kiss there, before leaving a wet and sloppy kiss on his cheek. He chuckled and wiped it off, placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

"I love you, Nessie," he promised, "always."

"I love you, too, Jacob," I replied, "forever."

!#$#!

It felt as though we had just sat down when Alice bounded down the stairs, which confused me immensely. _What the hell was she doing here? And where were Bella and Peyton?_

"Nessie, Nessie, Nessie," she trilled, bouncing happily on the balls of her feet. I took in her paint spattered overalls and body, and it clicked. _My room_. She was cashing in my birthday gift today, and it was done.

I smiled in spite of myself and bounded up the stairs after her, stopping in my tracks as she whirled on me. "Jacob," she clapped her hands excitedly, "cover her eyes! I want it to be a surprise."

Jacob complied, and it was silent save for Alice's excited squeals. I was moved forward slowly, and then Jacob removed his hands and I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth.

The walls were almost a periwinkle color, maybe a light, dusty blue. All of the furniture was now white. My queen size bed was covered in dark green sheets with small white polka dots, the comforter white with large blue circles spread out across it. The edge was outlined with blue, and green on top of that. A fluffy white rug covered the dark wood of the floors to the right of the bed. Three lanterns hung from the ceiling, the biggest one white, and the other two blue and green.

I made a slow circle around the room, my eyes sweeping over every detail before coming to rest on Alice's anxious gaze. She bounced on the balls of her feet, wringing her hands nervously. "Well?" she whispered.

I threw my arms around her neck and bounced with her. "It's perfect Aunt Alice, thank you, thank you, thank you, so much."

She squealed and clapped her hands. "I'm so glad you like it! I thought the pink was getting to be a bit much for you, so I wanted to do something completely different. I didn't know what you would think, but I decided to go for it anyway!"

I smiled and hugged her tight one more time. Truthfully, the room was beautiful. It was a far cry from the bright pink that once graced the walls. But it was perfect, it was me. I felt like I could sit on the bed for hours, and do absolutely nothing.

"Now shoo," Alice flicked her hands towards the door. "There is still much to be done, and if you want to sleep in here tonight, move that sweet tush of yours out of here."

Jacob chuckled as he grabbed my hand and dragged me back downstairs. He flopped down on the couch, his eyes trained to the movie on TV, and followed slowly.

So far, the plan hadn't worked. The plan had backfired immensely. The only thing the plan had really done for me was get me incredibly turned on by the way he fought. _Is there something wrong with me? Most likely. _But I wasn't about to use what he did to me for any purposes other than the one I had intended.

I slowly untangled my fingers from his and ran them gently up his arm, just ghosting over the skin, and back down again. Jacob shifted slightly, but continued to stare at the TV. I didn't know whether to cheer or frown, or maybe both simultaneously. Carefully, I pulled my legs under me, and turned in Jacob's direction. He was trying to pay me little attention. Trying, and failing. I bit my lip and ran my hand up his arm, stopping at the nape of his neck and tangling my fingers through the soft hair.

Slowly, so slowly it hurt, I turned his face to me and drank him in. The turn-on, however, was not the dominant expression. It was almost a disapproval, which had me pausing in my tracks. _Had I misinterpreted things? Does Jacob not want to do that with me?_

A slow rejected burn spread through my body, settling most prominently along the apples of my cheeks. I crossed my arms tight over my chest and turned away from him, willing the stinging of my eyes and tightness of my throat to pass.

Jacob sighed and suddenly his hands were on my hips, his nose nuzzling my neck. "Baby, I _do_ want you," he whispered, as though he knew what I was thinking, "but today is not the day. I mean, I don't know what happened with you and Julia, but when the time comes it should be just me and you, okay? You shouldn't have anything on your mind except for us."

"I am thinking about us," I muttered petulantly, though I knew he had a point. If we had sex tonight, neither one of our minds would be entirely into it. We would be miles away from each other, patching it over with a best friend, or perhaps finishing what we started with a best-friend-turned-enemy. Though I didn't lie to him. I _was _thinking about us; what we could do, what _he_ could do. But Jacob was right. _Damn him._

I saw from the corner of my eye a devious smirk flash across Jacob's lips before he composed himself. I tensed as he turned me around and gave me what I liked to call the 'panty-dropping' grin. _Lame? Yeah, so sue me._ He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and slowly pulled me towards him until I was on his lap, and more still until I was straddling him.

My breath hitched as I felt the obvious bulge in his pants, aligned just right with me. I moaned quietly and rocked forward a little, craving the friction. Jacob hissed and grabbed my hips, stopping my movements.

He smirked playfully and ran the tips of his fingers gently over my overheated skin. "Now, now, Renesmee, patience is a virtue."

He trailed gently down the side of my face, stopping to pull my lips in for a small kiss. His other hand moved down the side of me, stopping to play at the hem of my dress. So slowly, it almost hurt, he ran his fingers up his thigh, pausing just before where I wanted him most. Trailing kisses down the side of my face and across my collarbone, he moved slowly so I laid down on the couch, legs wrapped firmly around his waist, and he hovered over me.

He smirked as I gripped his hair and twisted my hips uselessly, desperate for the friction. He placed a small kiss to my wrist as his fingers moved closer to me.

Being with Jacob this way was truly magical. There was something so deeply passionate about what we were doing, that I didn't dare doubt the love he had for me. I moaned quietly, bucking my hips into his hand, very much aware that Alice was still upstairs, and could ruin our fun at any minute.

I threw my head back as I came, shuddering so fiercely that I was sure I would black out. I kissed him with reckless abandon, whispering his name again and again as he slowly brought me down from my high. "God Jacob…love you," I panted as he pulled me close to him, repositioning us so I was seated on his lap.

We decided on watching a movie, despite my protest in wanting to take care of him the way he had taken care of me. He had given me that smile again, kissed me, and told me that watching me get off was all that he needed. _Ookay. _Jacob wasn't a dirty-talker, he more preferred just watching and listening, so hearing him say something like that had a fire building in the pit of my stomach once again.

I kissed Jacob slowly, winding my fingers through his thick black hair. He sighed into my mouth, his tongue sweeping out to taste me. I explored his mouth tenderly, swallowing each of his moans.

The only thing that caused us to pull away was the sound of Alice bounding down the stairs. Jacob grinned and discreetly adjusted himself, focusing once again on the movie we were 'watching.'

I blew out a deep breath and relaxed against the fluffy sofa cushion, tangling my fingers with Jacob's.

He smiled and winked, brushing his lips tenderly over my knuckles.

I sighed and snuggled into his side where I fit. Perfectly.

!#$#!

Jacob refused to stay for dinner. Even after I pulled out the big guns and used the puppy dog pout on him, which I felt bad about afterwards. I knew he had to go home to tend to his father, and I felt guilty for keeping him so long. But when I told him as much, his face lit up with a devilish smirk and said he didn't mind at all. Cue blush.

Alice left soon after him which left me, Jasmine, and my thoughts. I learned that Bella and Peyton were simply 'out', and of course Edward was working.

I locked myself in the music room, pulled the curtains back from the window wall, turned the stereo on and danced. Dancing was the one thing I could do no matter what. It could be fast, slow, hard, soft. It could be anything I needed it to be. Which was why it was sort of an unspoken rule that if anyone was occupying the music room, we let them be.

So when Edward barreled through the door, a murderous glare on his face and a wrinkled paper in his hand, I stopped. Frozen in utter terror from the look on the face and the paper that he held up in the air for my examination. OneRepublic's _Secrets _filled the room, a taunting edge to my own stupidity.

His eyes, black with anger, didn't dare drop my gaze. His jaw clenched and unclenched, drawing in deep breaths. He looked down at the paper and back up at me.

"What the hell is this?"

_Fuck…_

* * *

_A/N: Cliffy! Yupp. Not even gonna try to make up an excuse, because I don't have one. The song for this chapter is _Sweet Dreams _by _Beyonce. _Also, _Secrets_ is truly a kick-ass song. Well, at least I think so. Reviews are lovely. They make me all warm and fuzzy inside. Plusss, you can't hate me right now. I just gave you a long chapter, along with an orgasm. Sooo, yeah. Ps. Did anyone like the sexy time? Should I not do it again? Let me know. REVIEWS! Think of it as an…early birthday present (;  
Love y'all,  
Kelly_


	8. Chapter 7

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 7 - Fear

**Renesmee's POV**

There are times in your life when you know you've messed up; you've done something without thinking about the consequences that will undoubtedly follow. You've put yourself in a situation, with no room to escape. You've backed yourself into a room with wolves at the door.

For me, that time was now.

I'd done something - admittedly - stupid and reckless, and forgot the most important part - leaving myself an out. That didn't mean I wasn't going to make my point known, rebutting against all that he would say.

As Edward stood before me, paper clenched tightly in his fist, his green eyes boiling in rage, I couldn't help but be reminded of another time, with another father. The only similarity between the two situations being the look upon their face, jaws clenched tight as their eyes burned into mine, rendering me incapable of speech. Leaving me to only feel one thing: fear.

A fear that I hid well, thank-you-very-much.

He paced the room, one hand still gripping that damn paper while the other threatened to rip his hair out from the roots, all the while resembling a caged animal.

Right now you're probably telling me to just hurry the fuck up and tell you what's on that paper. Most of you think it's probably a detention or suspension, but be serious guys, would Edward really be that upset about something so inconsequential, so minute?

The answer, ladies and gentleman, is no. No, no, at this point I could only dream of that. What that paper is, has become my worst fucking nightmare. Something I should have thought of when this whole damn thing started. _Ready to wring my neck yet? Patience, my friends, is a virtue._

The beginning of this clusterfuck would be my sixteenth birthday. I guess, if you want to get technical, you could say it started the day that I had shown Jacob all of me by the pool in my aunt and uncle's back yard. If you still don't know what I'm talking about, I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Come on, reach back into the far recesses of your brain. Think about it. Something happened on that day that changed everything.

If you're wondering how I'm so calm with Edward shooting death rays at me, the answer is simple: I'm not. Oh no, on the inside I'm anything _but _calm. But like I said before, I'm damn good at hiding things. My internal monologue at this point sounds something like, _OhmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod, WHAT THE FUCK? OhmyGod…._

Okay, so the answer to your question is: the phone bill. Confused? Well, think about it. Those phone calls to and from a certain someone were documented on that little piece of paper. That same little piece of paper that Edward now held in a tight fist. That same little piece of paper that was thrust in my face as a waterfall of word vomit fell forth from Edward's angry mouth.

"What the hell are you playing at, Ness? After everything we've gone through, you brought him right to you. You're playing with fire, and eventually you're going to get burned - if you haven't already! How could you be so reckless? Don't you realize what you've done?" He whirled on me then, a finger stabbed in my chest, eyes burning black as coal. "Are you crazy?"

I sucked in a breath, my eyes narrowing without my permission, and smacked his hand away from my chest. He could call me stupid, and reckless, because I was. But I was most definitely _not _fucking crazy, and a small part of me hated him for even asking the rhetorical question, because he, of all people, knew that.

"No, I'm not crazy," I hissed. "Excuse me for wanting to have a relationship with the father that I left all alone."

He threw his hands up in the air and guffawed in disbelief. "This is so much more than that, and you know it! We're talking about your safety here, and the safety of those you choose to surround yourself with. What about Julia and Cameron? Your family?" He paused and his eyes narrowed infinitesimally, "What about Jacob?"

I gritted my teeth and moved my gaze to the door, where Jasmine sat, wavering between curiosity and a protective anger. Edward scoffed as recognition dawned on him. "He doesn't know, does he?"

I whirled back on him, eyes blazing. "Why would he need to know? He's not my keeper, he's my boyfriend. And I don't understand why you're so concerned, either!"

"Why _I'm _concerned?" he repeated incredulously. "Its my job to be concerned, that's what a real parent does, Renesmee."

I ground my teeth to stop the comment that wanted to break through, but as Edward continued to point out the obvious, I threw my hands in the air and yelled, "You're not my father!"

We both paused as my words penetrated through other angry words. The fire in Edward's eyes dimmed considerably, and when he spoke it was quiet, defeated.

Hurt.

"Give me your phone," he demanded quietly, his gaze boring holes in the scuffed wood of the music room floor. He held his hand out towards me, waiting for my compliance, but I bit my tongue to stop from taking the words back and crossed my arms defiantly over my chest.

"No," I said evenly, waiting for his eyes to meet mine.

His head snapped up so fast I thought for sure he would at least be a little dizzy, but he looked straight through me, because he _knew_. He knew I didn't mean what I said. He knew that this fight was stupid, and lost before it had even begun. He knew that there were no words that he could speak to make me change my mind. He knew everything that I couldn't say.

But most of all, he knew I was sorry. And he had probably forgiven me before the words had even been uttered. But that didn't stop the gnawing guilt I felt settle in the pit of my stomach as I watched his eyes blaze with quiet sadness. Because I had done that - me - and there would always be a part of me that could never forgive myself for making him look that way.

If I had learned one thing from Edward and Bella, it was that blood and DNA didn't make you a parent. It was comforting that child when they were sick, or scared. It was encouraging that child to be the best they could be, when things didn't look so great. It was instilling hope in a small heart that would grow into something beautiful given time.

Being a parent was more than just giving a child life, it was giving them the right tools to survive, as well. And here I was, throwing them all away for pride.

"Your phone, Renesmee," he repeated, a little more fire in his words.

I looked away from the fierce protective glow in his eyes, to look out the door and down the hallway where two happy voices were coming from. Jasmine whined and took a step in my direction before she sat down again and turned an angry glare in Edward's direction.

I walked briskly past Edward and Jasmine, who fell in line beside me, curling up on the small rug in my room when I stopped. I felt rather than heard Edward behind me, in that way you can tell that someone is staring at you. Without bothering to check it for messages or missed calls, I picked up my cell phone and held it out to Edward without looking at him.

As if on cue, it vibrated in my hand, illuminating my father's name on the display screen. Edward's jaw clenched and he snatched it quickly from my outstretched hand, pressing the 'End' button to hang up. He took a deep breath and turned towards the door.

He paused in the doorway, the doorknob grasped in his hand and called over his shoulder, "You're grounded," before slamming the door and stalking away to his own room.

I threw myself backwards on my bed with a groan. Jasmine followed and lay her head down on my stomach for me to pet her. I picked up my iPod from where I had thrown it on the bed earlier, popped the ear buds in and scrolled through the artists until I found the one I wanted.

I clicked on shuffle and couldn't help the bark of sarcastic laughter that left my mouth. _Oh, the irony._

_Let me apologize to begin with, let me apologize for what I'm about to say…And somehow I got caught up in between. Between my pride and my promise, between my lies and how the truth gets in the way._

I hit the next button and smacked a hand to my forehead as the new song filled my ears.

_Thoughts were spinning in my head, so many things were left unsaid; it's hard to let you go. I know what it takes to move on, I know how it feels to lie. All I wanna do is trade this life for something new; holding on to what I haven't got. _

"_The hardest part of ending is starting again," _I muttered, then sighed, "Thanks God, yeah, I get it. I fucked up. No more Linkin Park."

And then it dawned on me that I hadn't only screwed up at home, but with Julia, too. Being grounded and not having a cell phone didn't leave me many options on how to fix that disaster.

_Looks like its time for a good ol' fashion sneak out. _I sighed and got to my feet, pulling my hair into a loose ponytail as I did so. I picked out a CD to put in my stereo, and turned it up loud enough to ensure that no one would bother me. I flipped off the lights, threw on a hoodie, and stepped into a pair of Converse. Sighing, I went feet first out the window, only leaving it open enough to reenter later.

I planted my feet softly on the ground, wiping the sting off my hands by rubbing them on my shorts. I ducked and made my way towards the front of the house.

"Ness," a voice hissed and I paused, frozen in terror, ready to bolt if necessary. I glanced up warily, but noticed no lights on, other than a glow coming from my window.

"Nessie," the voice hissed again, louder this time. I listened intently, and found that it wasn't coming from my house, but Cameron's. And then I heard Kings of Leon playing softly in the same direction and I relaxed, because that meant it was definitely Cameron.

I crossed the distance between our houses quickly, my eyes flicking around nervously for anything that looked out of place. Glancing up, I found Cameron sticking his head off the outcropping where he sat and played guitar. He gazed at me curiously, questions written in the set of his features, and I internally sighed, because I was never going to hear the end of it.

"Where are you going?" he asked softly, giving me that look like he was afraid if he said something I didn't like, I'd run for it. I couldn't honestly say he was wrong.

"Julia's," I replied, casting nervous glances over my shoulder to ensure that I was still safe.

His face clouded with confusion. "Why do you have to sneak out to go there?"

I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest, annoyance overshadowing my paranoia. "Because I'm grounded."

He nodded thoughtfully and scratched his head through his beanie. "Is that why you haven't answered anybody's texts? Jacob's included."

I scrubbed a hand over my face and threw my hands in the air because I didn't have an appropriate response to his question. Saying yes would be almost the truth, but then I'd have to tell him what led up to the taking of the cell phone, and he most definitely would not approve of that. But if I told him no, he would think I was ignoring everybody just because.

He watched me quietly before he sighed and propped his chin up with a fist. "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

I shrugged noncommittally and looked over my shoulder, away from his probing gaze. "Cam, I really have to go."

He nodded twice, cocked his head to the side, furrowed his brows, and opened his mouth to speak before he shut it and shook his head. "I'll keep lookout and text Julia if I see anyone lurking around your room."

I smiled half-heartedly because he understood. "Thanks, Cam."

He waved a hand in dismissal and disappeared over the edge of the outcropping where music then fell from. I sighed and kicked at the ground gently as I turned in the direction of Julia's house.

Julia lived approximately 7 minutes, by car, away from my house. With no car, at the rate I was going, it took about 20 minutes. Which was ample time to think about what I was going to say to her, and how I could make this better. And thinking about how I had screwed up with her served to be the best distraction from thinking about how I had screwed up everything else. Because it seemed that is what I did best these days.

I saw her before I heard her, her face cast in a glow from the light of her cell phone as her fingers worked over the keyboard. Soon enough though, the sounds of Muse coming from her iHome were all that I could hear. I sat silently on the step next to her, wiping my sweating palms down my cotton clad legs.

We were silent for an immeasurable moment where I worried my much-abused bottom lip and rubbed my hands fiercely down my thighs again and again, waiting for her to speak and tell me how she felt.

As a song came to a close, she turned to me, her eyes straining to see me in the fading light. "You know what I hate?"

I gulped and shook my head slowly, wary of the answer she was going to give me.

"People who don't have a mind of their own," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her face upwards, away from me.

I furrowed my brow in confusion, wondering if she was trying to tell me I didn't have a mind of my own, or if she was avoiding the topic of our fight all together. My arms wrapped tightly around my abdomen, and my head rested on my knees, bent to my chest. I turned my face in her direction and asked in a breath, "Are you talking about me?"

She made a face at me, scrunching her nose up in distaste and poking just the tip of her tongue out, shaking her head vehemently as she sort of grunted, "No way."

I sighed in exacerbated relief. I loved Julia like she was my sister, but sometimes, she made no fucking sense. I shook my head and buried my face in my knees, taking a deep breath, hoping to spit the words out quickly and just get it over with.

"I'm sorry about what happened at lunch," I said in a rush, preparing myself for her reaction. Julia was the type of person that didn't want to talk about what happened. The more you talked about it, the angrier she got, or maybe she just got angry all over again; I could never figure it out. It was best, most of the time, to just apologize and drop the subject when she did.

She shrugged and picked at an imaginary string on her skinny jeans before placing her elbow on her thigh and her head in her hand. She raised a brow and gave me a cursory glance. "You know I would have told you eventually, right?"

I nodded sheepishly and sucked my bottom lip in my mouth, biting gently. Blowing out a breath, I added, "Yeah, I know."

Slowly, I rested my head on her shoulder, and even slower, she put her head on mine. She sighed heavily, her chest heaving, my head rising and falling with the movement of her shoulder.

"Nessie…,"she sighed again, shaking her head slightly, "Ness, you're my best friend. The only person I tell more than you is my sister, because she's my sister and she's usually there when it happens. I didn't mean to wait so long to tell you, but I'm willing to bet that that's not what this is really about. So, are you going to tell me what was up with you at lunch, or are you going to make me guess?"

Now it was my turn to sigh as I removed my head from her shoulder, moving my gaze to the cracks in the concrete beneath my feet. I shrugged and pulled at my hair between my fingers. "It was just Todd and Bethany, no big deal."

Julia groaned and shook her head. "I don't understand why you let them get to you. I mean, you do know that all they're trying to do is get you to doubt yourself, right? You have to know that, Nessie, you_ have _to."

I smiled despite myself, and the growing sense of unease settling in the pit of my stomach as the sun continued to disappear behind the other side of the Earth. Julia paused mid-rant and turned a death glare on me that I would have laughed at if it were aimed at any other person.

"Wait a second, why the hell did you walk here? Where's your car?" she demanded.

I smiled half-heartedly and shrugged, trying to come up with someway to tell her about a certain someone I'd been talking to recently.

"And why didn't you answer Cameron earlier? All of his texts said they didn't send and his calls went straight to voicemail," her eyes narrowed considerably as her gaze remained unwavering.

And that was when I was sure I snapped. A smile broke out across my face, so big I though my face would split. And then the laugh. A full belly laugh that made tears spring to my eyes, and had me grasping my sides as they protested in pain. My lungs ached as I tried to pull in air, only to expel it in the next second.

Julia's gaze turned somewhat concerned, though she was still looking for an answer to her questions. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, the vibrations of my laughter traveling through her own body. She patted my back uncertainly as I struggled to catch my breath.

Giggling, I pulled away from her and wiped at the moisture that had collected under my eyes. I took a few deep breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth, and clamped my mouth shut as I turned to face her.

A hysterical laugh pushed through the boundary my lips created. I clapped a hand over my mouth and managed to force out the story of me being grounded. Her eyes grew in size as I explained to her the plans my biological father had been making for me, her mouth set angrily as I told her how Edward found out, how I'd told him he wasn't my father.

She shook her head and then turned it away from me all together. Standing up, she punched my arm, and I grabbed it as a dull ache began to seep under my skin.

She threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "I swear to God! Sometimes you make me want to wring your neck!"

All things considered, I laughed harder.

**Edward's POV**

I watched her disappear through the shadows after she had stopped to talk to Cameron. He and I had a sort of agreement. If he told me when she was leaving and in what direction she was headed, or where she was going, then he could pretty much do whatever the hell he wanted where his band was considered. And I'm not saying I didn't have secrets about Cameron Anderson that would probably reduce his mother to tears.

But this time he didn't tell me.

After I watched her climb down the tree and eventually start her trek in what I assumed was Julia's direction, I waited. Waited for a phone call, or perhaps a text, or even him showing up at the front door to tell me where she had gone, or at least to let me know that she had left at all, even if I already knew.

And still it didn't come.

I may sound a little crazy, saying that I marched over to his house and demanded to know where the hell my daughter went. I may sound really crazy when I say I gripped his shirt and tugged him forward when he refused to give me any full answers.

Cameron shook his head and peeled my fingers off his t-shirt, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. "Look dude, you know I'd tell you any other time, but she was really upset this time. Like, for real. And I'm not about to rat out my best friend to her father, even if we are cool. She seriously needs this time right now, alright? So just chill."

I raked a hand through my hair and then over my face. Maybe he was right and I did need to just 'chill.' But this is Nessie we're talking about here, the girl who isn't afraid to leave everything behind if she thinks it's going to save herself or the people she loves.

This could be very bad.

I forced myself to calm down as I sat heavily in a chair on my patio, the bottle of Jack and the crystal glass clanking harshly as I set them on the glass table.

I'd never been much of a drinker, and I'd cut back even more after Renesmee became a part of our lives. I'd always been the designated driver, Mr. Responsibility. That was my role, and I embraced it.

But tonight called for the familiar burn of alcohol as it raced down my throat.

I'd just drained the first glass of whiskey, when the sound of sand shifting alerted me to a person approaching me from behind. I ignored them and poured myself another glass, slowly nursing it as Bella took the chair next to me.

She glanced slowly between the bottle and my face, gauging how much I'd had to drink. _Not enough to forget my name, not enough at all._

"Sweetheart," she murmured as she wrestled the glass free of my hand, setting it on the other side of the table with the nearly full bottle. I rolled my head to meet her as her hand cradled the side of my face. "Edward, talk to me. What's wrong?"

I laughed bitterly and shook my head. "Tell me what's _right._"

She looked at me confusedly and whispered, "You're scaring me, Edward."

I closed my eyes and twined my fingers with hers, bringing them to my lips for a kiss. Did she not realize that Nessie had left, that I had no idea where she was? Did she not know what our daughter had been up to lately?

And then it all clicked. _Of course _she didn't know, because she hardly paid any attention to Nessie anymore. Her entire world was that tiny baby asleep in our big house. And yeah, I get it. I love Peyton with everything I have in me, but I didn't love Nessie any less than that.

"Did you know that Nessie stopped wearing our locket? We broke the promise we made to her when you got pregnant," I pointed out, opening one eye to catch the expression on her face.

She closed her eyes and shook her head, withdrawing her hand from mine to run it through her hair.

"We promised her nothing would change, Bella, and we lied to her. Everything has changed. Do you even care about her anymore?" I pressed.

Her head snapped up and her eyes flashed, her jaw clenched in anger. "Of course I care about her, Edward. She's my daughter, I love her."

I scoffed quietly and laid my head back. "Then why is it that the only thing you see anymore is Peyton? Bella, I understand what you went through, believe me, I was right beside you. But Nessie gave you everything you ever wanted, and you disregarded all of that when you found out you were pregnant. How could you do that to her?"

She groaned and stood abruptly with her back to me. "It hurts less this way."

I slammed my fist down on the table as I stood, causing the bottle and glass to jump and clatter noisily. "For who?"

She whirled on me, the light of the moon reflecting her features, showing the trail of silent tears down her cheeks, the beautiful woman that I had fallen in love with.

"For me, Edward! I know why she left her dad, but that doesn't erase the fear that she could one day do the same thing to us. Peyton isn't going anywhere. She's ours, she's a part of us. I love Renesmee more than you could ever know, but there's a part of me that will always wake up and expect her to be missing. If I stop caring, if I don't become too attached, then it won't hurt as much when she eventually does leave." She drew in a stuttering breath and wiped furiously at her eyes. "Because one day she won't be a Cullen anymore. One day she'll leave us, and we'll just be a stepping stone in her past."

I shook my head furiously and pushed a hand through my hair, not letting her words stay in my mind for fear that her ridiculous idea would start to make sense. "You don't think Peyton will do the same thing?"

"Don't you see? Peyton is _ours._ We have her whole life to be with her, at the very least we have eighteen years. We don't get that with Nessie," she was pleading with me now, trying to make me understand what she was saying. And I knew exactly what it was, but I didn't want to believe it.

I strode forward and took her face in my hands, wiping away the salty tears before I crushed my lips to hers, allowing her to taste the whiskey on my breath. I missed my wife, my Bella, the woman I had married and fallen in love with. The woman who made a beautiful mother to not one, but two girls, _my _girls. She was the same on the outside, but the old her was buried deep inside, and I was hell bent on finding her again.

"I promise you," I began, swallowing the bitter aftertaste that accompanied the could-be lie, "that Nessie is not going anywhere, not for awhile. She will _always _be a Cullen, and she will always be our little girl. Try, Bella, try for me, baby."

"You promise?" she clarified with a sniffle.

My forehead met hers and her strawberry scent engulfed me. Swallowing harshly, preparing myself for future repercussions if I was wrong, I met the warm brown eyes of the love of my life, reveling in the spark I found, and sealed my words with a kiss.

"I promise."

* * *

_A/N: Nada. I've honestly been really busy with birthdays and holidays. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, Happy New Year, all that jazz. Reviews to me is like Peyton to Bella or Nessie to Edward. Soooo, yeah. That's all._  
_XOXO_  
_Love,_  
_Kelly_

**Musics: **Fear - OneRepublic  
In Between - Linkin Park  
Waiting For The End - Linkin Park


	9. Chapter 8

**|Warning: This chapter contains citrus-y actions. Lemony, if you prefer.|**

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 8 - Look After You

**Renesmee's POV**

My tight fisted hand paused before it hit the smooth wood of my parents door, hesitating. I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth and bit hard, closing my eyes tightly to steel my nerves.

Today was Edward's off day which meant that he holed up in his room for an hour to have some time to himself to do whatever the hell he pleased. It also meant that Bella went into the office today.

Which left me, a sleeping Peyton, and a hermit Edward.

Well, perhaps that was too harsh. But I hadn't had the chance to speak with him since our fight. And when I woke up this morning, I found not just a new phone, but an iPhone on my bedside table. Translation: grounding is over. Which happened to be a _very,_ very good thing today of all days; it was Jacob's birthday.

The possibility that Edward had ungrounded me simply for that reason alone floated around in my over active brain, refusing to settle, nagging at my conscious until it nearly forced me to apologize.

Not that I didn't want to apologize, I just didn't know _how._ There was so much I'd done wrong recently that apologizing for each thing would take forever, while a broad 'I'm sorry' would sound insincere. Finding middle ground proved to be harder than I had thought it would be.

His voice echoed to me before I had a chance to knock, or think any further, and I wondered again how he always seemed to know I was there. I blew out a harsh breath, causing my bangs to fly upwards, and pushed the door open slowly.

I was struck, once again, by the simple beauty of their bedroom. The walls were a rich brown color that, oddly, reminded me slightly of peanut butter. The comforter of the king size bed that sat in the center of the room was pristine white, and the furniture was dark. Accents of blue and gold lie in pillows and artwork hanging over the bed.

But it wasn't this that made my mouth turn up at the corner. It was the pictures. Endless pictures adorned the walls, from the time they took me in up until my birthday. Peyton's pictures also filled the room, as well as those of Edward and Bella, always together, always looking so in love.

I could easily spot my favorite photo, placed on top of the dresser in front of a black and white picture of two hands linked together. I was 13 in the picture, only my face and shoulders visible, a purple beanie perched atop my head. My head was cocked slightly to the left, my mouth opened slightly as though I was about to speak. The background blurred green, the wind tangling errant locks of my hair, sparking red in the summer sun. It was my eyes, though, that made the photo my favorite. They were happy, untouched, unclouded by the events in my life. I had won the battle between my demons, and I thought things were perfect.

I was naïve.

Edward glanced up at me from his laptop and offered a hesitant smile which I nervously returned. He closed the computer and set it on the nightstand, patting the space next to him; a gesture for me to join him.

I tentatively crossed the floor to their bed and crawled up, sitting Indian-style on the opposite side of the bed from Edward. His eyes followed my movements as I fidgeted nervously, pulling at the sleeves of my - Jacob's - too big hoodie.

I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear and opened my mouth before promptly shutting it again, an aggravated sigh permeating the otherwise silent atmosphere. This was always the hardest part for me, the apologies. I could blame my father for that all I wanted, but the truth was, I'd never cared enough to _want _to apologize, or I'd never known that I _should _care enough. Regardless, it was still difficult for me. I hated how vulnerable it made me feel because, fuck, I'd been vulnerable for a good portion of my life.

Edward's hand was suddenly under my chin, pulling my face up so we were nearly eye level. He drew his hand back just as quickly as he'd put it there and ran it through his hair, blowing out an exaggerated sigh.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off with raised palms and a hurried, "I'm sorry."

He snapped his mouth shut, jaw clenching, and let out a slow breath through his nose. "Nessie…," he began, but shook his head and started over, "Nessie, I know you're sorry. I'm sorry, too. But maybe, next time, we could try to talk it out instead of just throwing words around? Maybe I overreacted to the situation, but you have to understand where I'm coming from. What he did to you in the past is not something I will forget, and while I know you have a right to talk to him, it makes me uncomfortable. He's a manipulator and I'm worried about you."

I dropped my head into my hands with a groan, feeling even shittier after his little speech. _God, I could be such a fuck up sometimes_. I nodded anyway. "I do understand what you're saying, and I really _am _sorry about everything I said. I…I hope that you didn't take it seriously, because you have to know that I don't really think any of what I said, and I feel horrible for saying it. I just…yeah."

I shrugged and before I had time to blink I was crushed in a hug, his arms easily encircling my small frame. I buried my face in his shoulder, my arms wrapping around his neck. He placed a small kiss to the top of my head and murmured that he loved me before finally releasing me. A moment passed between us, a silent conversation held in the depth of our eyes.

_Please don't do that to me, _he begged, his eyes beseeching.

_I promise, _I swore.

A promise that was already broken before it could be thought.

Peyton chose that moment to let us know that she was still there. Edward's eyes softened as she called out for him. He stood slowly from the bed, his knees cracking as he straightened, and ruffled my hair before exiting the room. His faint voice floated through the hallway to me as he quieted her cries with gentle words.

I sighed inwardly and jumped down from the big bed, padding silently back to my bedroom and closing the door behind me. I flopped face down on my bed, my iPhone catching my eye from it's spot on the floor, where I had so lovingly placed it when I woke up.

The screen flashed with a message, and I stretched to reach it and pull it towards myself. Cameron's name was displayed at the top of the box, under that it read, _Band practice at noon? Garage._

I smiled and unlocked the phone, typing a quick reply before forwarding the message to Jacob. I hopped up from the bed and into the bathroom, shutting the door as I turned on the shower.

Jacob's reply was the same as mine: _I'll be there._

!#$#!

I skipped happily through the expanse of grass covering the area between Cameron's house and mine, my hand enclosed in Jacob's as an endless stream of 'Happy Birthday' fell from my lips.

With a playfully annoyed growl, he spun me around, and pinned me against the side of Cameron's garage. His lips captured mine in a searing kiss and I teasingly pushed him away before punching his arm with a wicked grin.

"Cheater," I whispered, nipping at his bottom lip.

He groaned and kissed me again before tickling my side. "You know you don't fight fair. It is my birthday after all."

I smirked and stood on my tip toes while also pulling his face down to me so I could whisper in his ear, "Happy birthday." I bit down gently on his earlobe before ducking underneath the prison his arms had created and disappearing around the corner and inside Cameron's garage.

I immediately spotted Julia, sitting Indian-style on the old, faded orange couch resting against the side of the garage. Cameron took up the rest of the couch, his head in Julia's lap as she ran her fingers slowly through his hair. He looked near sleep until Joey sat down on top of him. With a huff, Cameron pushed Joey off of him and got to his feet, taking his rightful place with the band, and slinging his guitar across his body.

He cleared his throat and did the typical mic and amp tests as Jacob finally walked in. Wordlessly, he sat down next to me before pulling me into his lap, hugging me tight from behind.

There were other people there, of course, though they stayed on the other side of the garage. It was hard to pay attention to them, though, with the way Jacob's lips were moving across my neck, his fingers tracing patterns on my hand and thigh. I turned my head to glare half-heartedly at him, and sat straight just in time for Julia to punch my arm.

I gaped at her and rubbed the sore spot. "What the hell was that for?"

"Seriously, get a room, or pay attention. You, too, Jacob, even if it is your birthday," she huffed, watching Cameron laugh at something Remi - bass player - had said. Jacob mock-saluted her and I 'hmphed' before moving off of Jacob's lap so I sat next to him.

I sent a glare in her direction and grumbled, "Happy now?"

She smiled sweetly and turned her gaze away from Cameron, to me. "Extremely," she said at the same time Jacob muttered, "No," with a pout.

I pouted with him for a second, then kissed him, and turned my attention to the band as Joey held up his drumsticks and counted the rest of the band in.

The music was loud, but good. Scratch that, it was amazing. Even Jacob, who wasn't one for punk rock or screamo music, admitted that they sounded pretty good. The five of them were talented on their own, but when they got together, they made magic happen.

Well, until Cam's mom came home, that is.

They'd been right in the middle of a song when she walked in the garage, closely followed by her boyfriend, Mitch, with an armful of groceries. She'd sauntered right up to Cameron and unplugged his guitar from the amp. He turned on her with an incredulous stare as the others slowly fell out of the song.

"Be useful and help Mitch bring the groceries in," she instructed, giving him a squeeze on the shoulder as she stepped over wires to get to the door. Mitch had merely shrugged and trailed after her. "Oh, and Joey," she had called over her shoulder, "I expect you to help as well."

"Yes ma'am," he said with a mock salute that turned into the middle finger when she disappeared inside the house.

Now we sat in a circle on the floor of the garage, eating the food that they had helped bring inside. Joey was the oldest, but he hung out with us like he was still sixteen years old himself. Remi was easy to get along with, and liked to crack jokes a lot - usually being sexual. Liam was the quietest, but he always had a smile on his face. I sat between Jacob's legs, leaning against his chest, utterly content as his large hands massaged my shoulders. Cameron was playing tag with Julia's lips, and finally Joey stood up.

"Look bitches, there's too much sexual tension here, I need to go home and see my wife and kid. Remi, Liam, you dicks need a ride home?" Joey stretched his back and scratched absentmindedly at his stomach before running a hand through his hair.

Remi and Liam stood and said their goodbyes as they followed Joey out.

"Bye Joey!" Julia and I called as he wrenched the driver door open on his car.

"Get laid!" he yelled in response before slamming the door and driving off.

Cameron smirked and shook his head at his cousin. He leaned back on his elbows and Julia put her head on his stomach. "Soo," he breathed, "what are we gonna do now?"

I shrugged in response and Julia hummed in contentment as she let her eyes drift shut. Jacob's lips ghosted across the neck line of my t-shirt, distracting me from what Cameron was saying. His fingers tangled themselves in my hair and tilted my head back to kiss the spot below my ear. I turned my head fractionally and met his lips in a kiss, Jacob sucking on my bottom lip.

"Hey," Cameron snapped and we broke the kiss to look at him. He was standing now, Julia at his side with a quirked eyebrow. I smiled sheepishly and Jacob chuckled, the rumble of his chest shaking my body in the best of ways.

"Maybe Joey was right," Cameron hinted with a waggle of his eyebrows. Julia smacked his chest and rolled her eyes at him before narrowing her eyes at me.

Blood pooled in my cheeks at his innuendo, and I slowly got to my feet, meeting Julia's stare. "Yeah, maybe he was."

Cameron's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, and Julia's jaw hit the floor. I was afraid to turn around and find Jacob's reaction, so instead I crossed my arms over my chest and continued to stare them down.

"And maybe you two need to mind your own business," I added before I turned my gaze to Jacob. He was still sitting on the ground, and though he looked amused by our exchange, he also appeared to be deep in thought.

Cameron sputtered for a response, dragging his hands through his hair desperately, before he dropped them to his thighs with a slap. Julia raised a brow at me, unimpressed. I shrugged and held my hand out to Jacob, who took it with a smile and got to his feet, nearly dragging me down in the process.

"If you'll excuse us, we need to be elsewhere," I said with a huff, and I turned to leave. Jacob followed a few steps behind me, his fingers lacing with mine. Just as we turned towards my house, we heard Cameron utter an oh-so-eloquent, "Dude!"

I pulled Jacob inside and placed him precisely in front of the stairs. Nudging him a little to the right, I removed my hands from his shoulders and clapped once. "Perfect. Stay right there, I'll go change, and then we can leave."

As I began to run up the stairs, Jacob chuckled behind me, "Take your time, Ness, and I mean that." I gave him the finger over my shoulder and slammed my door behind me.

Deciding that dressing up was not needed, I exchanged my shirt for a grey, off the shoulder sweater, kept the jeans, and threw on a pair of purple Converse. I left my hair in it's side ponytail, added a thick black headband that held a crystal flower, grabbed my purse and his gift and headed back downstairs to him.

He smiled as he watched me skip down the stairs, taking my hand to spin me in a circle when I met him at the bottom. "You look perfect."

I took in his dangerously low jeans and blue button down and found my lips attached to his. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He kissed the knuckles of the hand he still held and led me outside to his truck. The ride to Jacob's house, though short, was filled with light teasing and laughter. I don't think I'd ever laughed so much in such a short amount of time, but with Jacob I was always able to be happy at ease, no matter the situation.

Two cars that were unfamiliar to me sat in the small driveway, and I was reminded that Jacob's twin sisters, Rachel and Rebecca, were driving in to spend his birthday together - despite how being in their old home made them uncomfortable. I'd met them when we were younger, of course, but they had been the untouchable older siblings, and I'd never really gotten to know them.

Jacob was ambushed the minute we stepped inside. There was a chorus of "Uncle Jake!" as well as just "Jacob!" that flew around the room. Jacob's smile was so big it looked like it should hurt as he squatted down to catch two small girls that couldn't be any older than four. My heart melted a little as he said his hellos to them, the smile on his face only seeming to grow.

Both girls were raven-haired with deep brown eyes, though one had long, curly hair, and the other had short, pin-straight hair; it seemed to be the only way to tell them apart. Jacob introduced them as Emily and Leah, respectively. It was obvious they got their looks from their mothers.

When his sisters made themselves known, I was surprised by their receptiveness to me. They had each pulled me into a tight hug and squeezed as though letting me go would cause me to disappear. Though their behavior seemed strange to me, I wasn't going to question it.

"So Jake, we leave for a few years, and when we come back you're an old man," Rachel teased as she threw an arm around his shoulder and pulled him tight into her side.

Jacob chuckled and ducked away from Rebecca as she tried to ruffle his hair. "I wouldn't say I'm old considering you two are almost ten years older than me, and you both have a kid."

The two girls made a face simultaneously and Rachel teasingly pushed Jacob away as she plopped down on the loveseat. Rebecca took the seat next to her sister and crossed her legs at the same time Rachel did. Billy looked on in amusement as his children continued their banter.

The room was limited, so I was unsurprised when Jacob demanded that I sit on his lap. I was also unsurprised when Billy said that it was unnecessary, and Jacob quickly stated that it was his birthday, he could do what he wanted. Though Billy rolled his eyes and did not look pleased, he didn't fight him on it again.

The traditions were kept. Jacob's favorite meal was served, and though he had eaten more than anyone else, he still had room for cake and ice cream. Gifts were opened after that, and though Jacob had been ecstatic to receive two tickets to a rival basketball game, he was just as cheery when Leah and Emily handed him homemade cards that dripped with sparkles.

As the night wore on, I was surprised at how easily I molded into their family. I should have felt like I was intruding on them - or so I thought. Instead it felt as though I was sewn into the fabric from the very beginning. Rachel and Rebecca left around nine to get Leah and Emily home and in bed. Billy retired to his room and Jacob's room was where we eventually wound up.

"Do I get my gift _now_?" Jacob wondered, his eyes alight with happiness.

I kissed him chastely and ordered him to sit as I retrieved his gift from my purse. He sat unceremoniously on his bed and situated himself in the middle, his eyes trained on every move I was making. I fiddled nervously with the edge of the shiny blue wrapping paper, my bottom lip wedged in between my teeth. I was well aware that my gift hadn't cost a fraction of what Jacob had spent on my gift. I was hoping the thought behind the gift would make up for that fact.

I sat ungracefully in front of him and blew out a large breath, holding the shiny square to my chest when Jacob tried to take it from my hands. I traced the edges one last time before unwillingly handing it over to him, refusing to meet his gaze as he tore into the paper.

Considering I couldn't see his eyes when the gift was revealed, and his smile faded when he realized what it was, I panicked. "I know it isn't much, and if you don't like it I can get you something different. I just thought it would be a nice way to remember all of the time we spent together, but it was a stupid idea. Of course it was a stupid idea, I mean, who wants a scrapbook as a gift? Lame, right? I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sor-"

He silenced me with a finger and I drew in a shuddering breath when I felt his thumb trace my pouting lower lip. His lips replaced his fingers and I allowed myself to become lost in him.

"You hate it, don't you?" I wondered, keeping my gaze on his bedspread, as if the blue material was suddenly the most interesting thing in the room.

He lifted my face with another finger, and his eyes searched mine, though I couldn't read his. He shook his head slowly, as if words simply were not coming to him. "It's…perfect."

At my disbelieving stare, he continued. "No, really, I mean it. It's the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me, and I'm so glad I can look at it and remember all of the fun we've had now that things aren't exactly ideal. Thank you so much."

My lip became wedged in my teeth again. "You mean it?"

He nodded vigorously, his hands suddenly cradling my face. "It's just…perfect. That's the only word I can find to describe it. Perfect."

I smiled brilliantly and allowed myself to get lost in the kiss he presented me with. There was one other gift that I had wanted to give to Jacob, though I was sure he would not be very happy that I was offering it. Somehow I would up with my head on the pillow with Jacob hovering above me, a knee planted firmly between my thighs. My hands roamed down the expanse of his muscular chest as I methodically unbuttoned his shirt.

His mouth moved over the skin visible from the top of my sweater, stopping occasionally to kiss an errant scar. My mouth whispered words of love to him as his hands began to move to the hem of my sweater without seeming to think about it. _This is it_, I thought, _it's now or never._

"Make love to me," I breathed gently across his shoulder as his mouth assaulted my neck with sweet kisses.

His eyes journeyed to mine slowly, the deep brown of his eyes nearly black with love. Lust. I drew in a shuddering breath, my body arching slowly, aching for any contact with him at all. He held his body over mine, his hands resting on either side of my head on the pillow.

His tongue wet his lips slowly, his eyes boring into mine, begging answers to unspoken questions.

_Are you sure? Do you really want this? Don't you know this will change everything? Do you know how much I love you? Please be sure. I don't want to hurt you._

"Nessie," he sighed softly, his gentle breath washing over my face like a warm spring breeze. He looked as though my request had caused him near physical pain, and as I shifted my body beneath his, earning a hiss and tightly clenched eyes, I knew that it could be true.

"Please," I spoke, no more than a whisper in the heavy silence of his bedroom. My hand raised of its own volition, fingertips tracing the soft outline of his face. His jaw clenched and his eyes shut tightly, as if opening his eyes again would make me disappear, fade away, become just a dream.

I hid the ripple of hurt that washed over me at his expression, knowing that it had less to do with me, and more to do with how Jacob's mind worked. He was, once again, considering what was best for me, while disregarding what I wanted.

His eyes were conflicted, his rough hands cupping my face gently and bringing our mouths together in a kiss that echoed his indecision. I groaned as his tongue tentatively reached out and stroked my bottom lip, begging for entrance. I opened my mouth with ease, trusting him implicitly in every way.

Deciding that if I wanted things to progress, I needed to take the initiative, I slowly rocked up, into him, and bit gently on his lower lip. He groaned and met my thrust with a look of something between pleasure and pain on his beautiful face.

He clenched his eyes tight and then they flew open, a look of almost-horror in their dark depths. He shook his head vigorously, disentangling his body from my own.

With a frustrated growl, I grabbed him by the shoulders and rocked into him again, desperate to feel him on every inch of my skin. His eyes snapped back to mine and this time he looked defeated. His hands easily held my hips down, stopping the desperate movement of them. He dropped his head to my shoulder and released a shuddering breath that raised goose bumps on the soft skin.

"_Please,_" I begged, my voice shaky at best.

One hand moved under the hem of my sweater, his rough hand finding the smooth plane of my stomach. He placed a kiss on my shoulder as my hands nudged his shirt down his arms. He didn't fight me on it, but he didn't help me either. The shirt was discarded over the side of the bed and I allowed my hands to trace every line and curve of his torso.

"Beautiful," I whispered, tangling one hand in his hair and bringing his lips back to mine.

His hands moved up again, slower, but with purpose. I lifted my arms easily and met his intense gaze as they searched my eyes for answers that I had already given him. Something shifted then, and he removed my sweater without a second thought, his eyes never leaving mine. His mouth found mine again and his hands traveled down my stomach, stopping only to trace a scar.

I raked my nails down his back as I rocked into him again, relishing in the way he dropped his head forward and met my thrust without seeming to think about it at all.

The rest of our clothes soon joined those already discarded on the floor and the only thing separating us was my underwear and his boxers. He kissed each scar on each thigh, and I ached for him in a way that was new and exciting to me.

"Are you sure?" he asked in a whisper as his hands found the elastic of the only barrier separating us.

My hands met his and together we removed my underwear. Instead of letting my eyes take in every detail of his body, my eyes remained locked with his.

"I don't want to hurt you," he pleaded, waiting for me to rescind my offer. I smiled sadly and kissed away his indecision.

"You could never hurt me," I promised, tracing the features of the face I was sure I could draw in a dark room. "I want you, Jacob."

His eyes refused to leave mine as he slowly entered me. Though he didn't push all the way in, it still hurt. I bit my lip at the pain that rippled through me. It hurt, but it was no worse than anything I'd experienced before. I dug my nails into his back and waited for it to end. I closed my eyes against the tears that wanted to make themselves known, aware that this was the closest Jacob had ever been to seeing me cry.

"So fucking tight," he muttered, his eyes scrunched up tight. I swallowed tightly and moved under him, trying to acclimate myself to his size. I was no expert on that, clearly, but he had to be more than average.

His hands pinned my hips to the bed, his eyes wide in near panic. Panting, he pleaded, "Don't move."

I did as he wanted, dragging my nails through his scalp as I waited for him to do _something. _He kissed me sweetly whispering his words of love as he slowly began to move inside of me. God, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

Eventually, I was able to meet his slow thrusts, unsure if I was doing anything right. But Jacob never told me to stop, so I assumed I was doing well. Everything I did hurt, even though it seemed like Jacob was hardly moving at all.

Watching Jacob in his moment of ecstasy was beautiful. I knew I wouldn't have one because it was my first time, so I relished in his, and the fact that he'd given me one before we'd began having sex. It wasn't the first time I'd given Jacob pleasure, but it was new in this way.

"_God…_love you so fucking much," he moaned, his lips capturing mine as his thrusts slowed and then stopped altogether. He remained still for a while, panting and sweaty above me as he traced my features, his gaze searching my eyes for something. Whatever it was, he seemed to be pleased - no pun intended - with what he found.

He removed himself slowly and I winced at the pain that followed his movements. He placed kisses all over my face as he shifted himself so he was lying next to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, brushing away errant locks of hair from my face.

I smiled weakly and nodded, afraid to say something that would give me away. He sighed and kissed me once more before he stood and put his boxers back on. He sat me up and helped me button his shirt over myself before he lifted me into his arms and carried me to the bathroom.

He drew me a bath, bubbles and all, and helped me in before he disappeared to remove the sheets from his bed. He returned quickly and took a seat on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest.

I played quietly with the watermelon scented bubbles, scooping them up and blowing them across the tub. Jacob gently washed me from head to toe, kissing every inch of skin he could find.

"You know we can't go back from here," he murmured, almost sadly.

I turned my head towards him, blowing a handful of bubbles his way. "Why would I want to go back?"

He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He shrugged one shoulder, seeming to be at a loss for words. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't," I promised him, and at his dubious expression, explained, "It was going to happen no matter who I was with. I would have rather been with you because I love you, and you love me. It doesn't hurt that way."

He didn't buy it, so I added, "Besides, that just means that we have to practice some more so it won't hurt anymore."

He smiled and splashed me gently with a handful of water. "You're perfect."

Instead of arguing with him, I let him believe what he wanted. With a smile, I whispered, "Happy birthday," before my lips met his again.

"The best," he agreed.

* * *

_A/N: Yay! Sorry for the long wait, I've been super busy. Ya know, midterms, going to Disney World, make-up work. I missed winter formal so I could get this up for you guys. Um, don't hate me. I guess that's all I really have to say about that…. I think I owe this one to Megan for convincing me that, well, it _is _worth it. Thanks everybody. Reviews make me happy.  
Love,  
Kelly_

_P.S. I should get extra points because this is a long chapter (:_

_Song - _Look After You _by _The Fray  
_I'll put up a play list for Caustic soon - all songs belong to their owners, I just like to pretend._


	10. Chapter 9

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 9 - What's Left Of Me

**Jacob****'s POV**

I found her in the library-slash-office, a book discarded face-down to her right, her eyes trained on the slideshow of photos fading in and out. I didn't fail to notice the people in the picture - the same every time, the expressions varied.

She hadn't gone to school, a doctor's appointment for her heart occupying her time. Perhaps it was better that way, though. I also didn't fail to notice the blank expression on her face as each new picture flashed up on the screen, each memory seeming to push her farther into herself. A song played in the background, the lyrics haunting me as I continued to watch her: _"I'd like to keep cutting, I'd like to keep cutting, but I can't stand to watch myself bleed."_

I cleared my throat, but she didn't even flinch at the sound. She continued to stare listlessly as the pictures began to repeat themselves on the screen. I stepped forward and clicked the monitor off, but she remained still. Her eyes shifted slowly from the screen to my face, and I wondered if she knew she had tears in her eyes. I held my hand out to her and she took it without hesitation, turning her back on the past and moving forward with me at her side.

We curled up on the couch in the living room, the TV playing a repeat of some show neither of us paid any attention to. She tucked into a container of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, mumbling the story around bites of _half baked. _I'd heard the story from the other side, and to me, the entire thing was entirely ridiculous. How do you throw away years of friendship over some silly misunderstanding.

"It's not fair," she proclaimed quietly, and my chest constricted at the pain hidden in her voice. Her eyes remained unfocused, staring blankly at the ice cream in her hand. I rubbed her back slowly, tucking her head under my chin, wishing more than anything that I could consume her pain, hide her away in my heart to prevent anymore pain from finding her. The worst part about this situation was that she wasn't only losing one best friend, but two. The other more out of obligation than animosity.

The fight had started when Julia found out we'd had sex. Nessie failed to mention that Julia had not liked the idea of us being together in that way - not that it was any of her business to begin with, but I hadn't meant to cause a rift. Julia got angry and claimed that Nessie 'never listened' to what Julia was saying. Nessie, of course, wasn't going to go down without a fight. Words were said, they stopped talking, Nessie tried to fix it, but by that time, Julia had decided she was happier not being friends with Ness.

The whole thing sucked, and that was just from my outside perspective. I couldn't imagine being Nessie, knowing that your best friend was happier not being your friend. And, of course, Nessie being the person she is, couldn't begrudge Julia any happiness she found.

Cameron followed with Julia, though he had no actual qualms with Ness, and I suspected that they were still talking, but keeping it from Julia. I knew what it felt like to lose one best friend - I couldn't imagine both, and being left with none.

At that thought, I tightened my hold on her, reminding her that I was here for her - forever and for always. The whole fight had happened over text messages, and each time Nessie tried to fix things, it only seemed to piss Julia off a little bit more, until finally she replied with 'I've been happier the last few days than I have been in the past years. So there you go.'

I agreed with Nessie wholeheartedly - it _wasn't _fair - but there was nothing either of us could do about it. The only thing I could do now was attempt to pick up the pieces. Nessie discarded the ice cream container - the remainder of the ice cream now completely melted - on the coffee table in the middle of the room and curled up against my chest.

She sang gently to me, sadness laced into the quiet words of Whitney Houston's _I Will Always Love You. _I draped us in a blanket snagged from the back of the couch we occupied, cocooning her with my arms. Her voice broke and faded as the song came to an end.

We were silent for a while, our thoughts pulling us in different directions as our bodies clung shamelessly to the other. Her breathing became shallow and even, and when I glanced down at her, her eyes were shut tight, tears dancing on her long lashes. I wondered if she knew she cried in her sleep. No deep, heavy breathing, or sobbing, just a trail of silver tears falling from her closed eyes.

That was how Edward found us, wrapped protectively in each other, her fist clinging to my shirt, her brows furrowed in a frown, a sad whimper escaping her lips before she burrowed her face into my chest. Edward was by her side in an instant, taking in the expression on her face, the tears staining her cheeks. He brushed a strand of hair from her face and placed the back of his hand to her forehead, frowning in concentration.

I cleared my throat quietly to gain his attention, aware that I should be embarrassed by the way Nessie was situated between my legs, clinging to me in desperation.

"She's not sick," I assured him, wiping away her tears gently with my thumb.

His frown deepened as he pushed off the couch, stretching his back once he was standing again. "Well, she's not okay."

I shook my head slowly, doing my best not to wake her. "She's hurting," I murmured, kissing the top of her head. At his panicked expression, I explained, "Not physically. Julia has decided they're no longer friends. She's hurt mentally…I think."

He sighed in relief and dragged a hand down his face. He scratched at the back of his neck, seemingly at a loss of what to do. He shrugged helplessly and squeezed my shoulder before leaving the room.

Bella found us much the same way Edward had, but by then the tears had stopped almost entirely. She rubbed Nessie's back tenderly, her expression pained as I explained the situation to her as well. She whispered words of comfort to Nessie, too quiet for me to hear, but Nessie didn't stir and by then Peyton was fussy again.

Over the hushed, hurried voices of two concerned parents, and the whimpering of a baby in a new sort of pain, a blackness encompassed all of us. It brought with it silence, that heavy silence filled with a sense of confusion, panic over the drastic change in atmosphere. The silence lasted for only a beat, then was filled with a curse and footsteps into the kitchen, then a desperate cry of fear. Bella hushed Peyton quietly, her footsteps following the path Edward's had, as he returned to the living room.

The dim yellow beam of the flashlight washed over us, and the change in lighting coupled with Peyton's increasing sound jolted Nessie awake. She sat so abruptly that her head collided with my chin, and I cursed quietly as I rubbed at it. She glanced around the room, looking adorably confused, squinting against the pale yellow light.

For just a moment, she looked unharmed. There was no secret pain in her eyes, all molten chocolate and innocence. For just a moment, everything was forgotten and she was Ness and I was Jacob, and nothing existed outside of that. For just a moment, all of her walls were down, and I saw straight to her soul, pure and perfect. But all that is perfect must end, and the moment faded seamlessly into the next, no one the wiser that I now held all of her secrets, much like she held my heart.

She offered me a small smile and stretched languidly, reminding me of a cat. Her gaze flickered around the room once again as more muted light began to fill the space. The flickering light of candles soon lit up the open space, our faces half in shadow. Nessie hummed in contentment and snuggled further into me and the blanket covering us.

"Nessie?" Bella called from somewhere behind us, and Ness hummed in response. "Could you help me in here for a sec?"

Nessie sighed and extricated herself from my arms, flinging the blanket over my head with a half-hearted smile as she made her way into the kitchen. I sunk lower into the plush leather surface, dragging a hand down my face as the pitter-patter of her feet faded into silence. As gentle murmurs and a few sniffles permeated the melancholy atmosphere, not far in the distance, a siren began to wail, slowly coming closer. Fast.

My eyes shot to Edward's hulking form on the couch opposite of the one I occupied as his pager began to go off. In the dim yellow light of a flickering candle's flame, I witnessed fear pass through his eyes, just before he shot to his feet.

He was a blur of gray as he darted up the stairs, returning only seconds later, struggling to lace his shoes onto his feet and not fall down the stairs. He bid us all goodbye and gave each of his girls a kiss and ruffled my hair before he was out the front door. A car door slammed and tires squealed and he was gone, and we were left confused.

When Nessie finally made her way back to me, she held out a small, delicate ivory hand and I wordlessly placed my callused one inside and let her pull me upstairs. She maneuvered through the dark effortlessly with me close behind her, a gentle hand placed on the small of her back for guidance.

I perched on the edge of her bed as she shut the door behind her. She crossed the room silently, and if I hadn't been watching her every move, I wouldn't have known she was there. A foreign song began to gently fill the silence of her bedroom, and before I could register it, she was standing between my parted legs, hands finding purchase in my cropped black hair. She placed a tender kiss on my cheek and I shivered at the simple contact.

"Make love to me."

"…_If ever your world starts crashing down…"_

"Nessie…."

"…_Whenever your world starts crashing down…"_

"Please."

"…_Whenever your world starts crashing down…"_

"Oh, God…."

"…_That's where you'll find me…"_

The intensity of her kiss startled me, and I fell backwards, her weight pleasantly resting on me. She was everywhere, lips and teeth and tongue and gentle caresses and demanding words. I'd never wanted anything more in my entire life; nothing had ever been so wrong.

"…_Know that we all fall down…"_

I groaned my defeat and we moved backwards, more towards the center of the bed, and she wasted no time in ripping my shirt over my head.

It was raw, and anguish, and beautiful. And it was tears as I filled her and oh God, I'm so sorry, and no Jacob, not you, never you…. It was need and want and don't leave, and I could never. It was her tears trailing down my cheeks as she held me to her from the inside out, anchoring me to her. It was I love you and you have no idea.

"…_Love till you hate, strong till you break…"_

It was us. And that was enough.

"…_Know that we all fall down."_

It was perfect.

!#$#!

"She took my words, Jacob."

"I know, sweetheart."

"She took them, but she doesn't know it. She-she can't use them, she doesn't even know she holds them, and I'm empty, and it aches, and _God…._"

I wrapped her in my arms, not commenting on the tear-soaked state of my t-shirt, or the silver tracks on her pale skin. There was no sobbing, no sniffles, no hiccups, just a steady flow of tears that fell in straight lines down her raw cheeks.

The power was still out, and both Peyton and Bella had retired for the evening. Edward was still gone, but this was nothing new. Words were spoken only as they were needed. We touched and comforted and she sang quietly to sad songs filling silence in the empty bedroom. We were young, and we were love. She was my everything.

"I want to hate her," she whispered into the pillow we rested on.

I nodded in acknowledgement, tangling my fingers in her long curls. She groaned in frustration and flipped on her back, staring up at the ceiling, lit only by the stars and moon and occasional flash of lightning.

"No one would blame you if you did, honey."

She shook her head, sheets rustling, eyes crinkling. "I can't hate her for wanting to be happy."

"I suppose not," I conceded, confused by her line of thinking.

I'd never known her pain. I'd known pain, yes, but not that pain. All promises broken, past, present, and future. All decisions questioned, debated, _wrong._ It was heart-pounding, can't breathe, fear. It was everything and it was nothing. It was pain and it was numb, it was tears and dry eyes.

"She was right."

It was so soft I didn't think I'd heard it, drowned by a roll of thunder and a crescendo of a song. But I had heard it, and in a flash I was hovering above her, angry and aching, and wishing there was something I could do to fix it, fix _her._

I shook my head angrily, my lips harsh against hers. Her body bowed into mine and I wrapped my arm behind her back, anchoring her to me. She wrapped her legs around my waist, digging her heels into my ass to slowly rock against me, the only barriers being my t-shirt on her and her sheet around me.

"Don't ever think, for one second," I panted, kissing hungrily down her neck, sucking on the skin over her collarbone, "that you are less than perfect."

She giggled, and if I hadn't been so angry at her, I would have smiled at the sound.

"Quoting Pink, now are we, Jacob?" she teased, a soft, slow kiss prying my lips open for her own exploration.

I growled in annoyance biting at the skin I had been sucking on. She slapped at my arm and shoved me away from her, pulling my shirt back down as she wandered into the bathroom.

She was gone only for a moment, and then she was back in my arms, using my chest as a pillow. Her blunt nails scratched red marks down my chest, spinning circles, tugging at the hair between my belly button and below.

For now, we were content. We weren't happy, because she wasn't happy, but content was good.

Content was the best we could do. For now.

!#$#!

It was some time later that the electricity came back on, the only indication the time on our cell phones, strewn across the room haphazardly in our earlier haste to be bare. The light was bright, piercing my sleep-laden eyes.

Her small body was draped over mine, our bodies warm with love, lust, and lack of a spinning fan. Ness hardly stirred as I scooted out from under her, walking around the room to flick off the lights and music.

I found my way back to the bed blindly, her body my magnetic north. I wrapped myself around her, unconcerned with the sticky perspiration coating us both. She hummed in contentment, a ghost of a smile lighting up her sleeping features.

With a kiss to her damp forehead, I closed my eyes and let her rhythmic breathing pull me back into dreams of her.

!#$#!

She awoke in the morning with the good kind of pain lingering in her limbs, lips kiss-swollen, and hair rumpled. I stretched and she extricated herself from my hold, tiptoeing to the shower to clean away yesterdays sins.

Her eyes were puffy from tears shed, cheeks splotchy with her despair, but she found that today she could breath. It wasn't the end of the world, and with that thought in mind, she jumped in the shower.

Or so she told me.

I'd always found words to be strange things. The same word can be said a million different ways, and each way will have a different meaning. It was odd that we could string words together and create something that had the power to create or destroy someone.

Simple words, really, spoken often. An apology.

"Nessie," Edward had breathed as we entered the kitchen. His eyes were bloodshot, coffee forgotten on the table as he grabbed her up in a hug. She tensed at first, then slowly returned his actions.

Bella's eyes were puffy, much the same way Nessie's had been when she'd woken up that morning. She was only just beginning to breath again; how could he do that to her?

"Baby, I'm so sorry," he murmured, burying his head in her damp hair as his eyes took on a misty quality.

"I-I don't understand," she stuttered, eyes wide in panic as she took in their matching expressions: fear, pain, anguish, _pity._

"Sit down, sweetheart," Bella spoke up, voice raspy, gesturing to the chair situated next to hers.

Her eyes went wide as she shook her head vehemently, retreating almost entirely from the room. "N-no, just t-tell me what's going on. What's wrong?"

With all the fight in the world, Edward still managed to steer her to a chair, me trailing behind her as she refused to let go of my hand. Edward and Bella shared a look, seemingly debating on who would tell her, and she squeezed my hand so hard I feared I would lose blood flow.

"Nessie, baby," Edward sighed, taking her free hand in one of his and Bella's in the other. His eyes flickered to mine, green burning anguish, the sorrow nearly crippling me.

He cleared his throat, his eyes intent on her face. "There was an accident last night."

She sucked in a jagged breath, hands beginning to shake. I brought it to my lips for a kiss, squeezing it back in a gentle reassurance that I was here, and I was staying.

"W-what kind of accident?" she managed to force out, voice trembling, tripping over her tongue.

His eyes took in her expression, fear plainly written deep into her features. Bella looked at him with quiet encouragement, her eyes beginning to tear. He shook his head and withdrew his hand from Bella to push it through his hair before capturing Nessie's hand.

"A car accident, sweetheart. The power went out because a car was run off the road by another driver, and they hit the pole," he murmured, speaking slowly, his body tense.

At her quiet nod, he closed his eyes and I watched in abject _terror _as tears shamelessly rolled down his face. Bella wiped them away, though she had plenty of tears running down her own face. He smiled sadly at her before turning back to Nessie.

"Honey, Cameron was driving, and Julia-"

"No! No, you're lying to me! You're lying, they're fine! She's at home, and Cameron's in his bedroom listening to music and his mom is yelling at him because his room is a mess! A-and Julia is sleeping, she's sleeping because it's Saturday and she sleeps in really late on the weekends. They didn't get into an accident, they're not hurt, they're fine, why would you lie to me?"

She was screaming at the end of her rant, beating her fist uselessly against Edward's chest as he tried his best to stop her, whispering words of comfort to her. Bella closed her eyes as her shoulders began to shake with silent sobs, and I stood in shock, watching Edward finally wrap his arms around her, his tears soaking her shirt just as much as hers were soaking his.

Of all the words he whispered there was only sentence that I caught: "Baby, they were killed on impact."

She moaned and it was like her knees gave out, because if Edward hadn't been holding her, she would have sunk to he floor. She sobbed desperately, alternating between clutching his shirt in her hands and hitting his chest.

Bella stood slowly and fit herself around them, uncurling Nessie's tight hold on Edward's with one of her hands, and whispering words of love. It wasn't until she gestured me forward that I realized tears were streaming down my face at an alarming rate. I took her outstretched hand and let her enfold me into their embrace, Edward's hand securing me by my neck.

I clasped one of Nessie's hands in mine, resting it over her broken, bleeding heart. Her body shook with sobs, and eventually, I knew it wasn't just her, but me as well.

It was raw, and hurt, and pain. It was fuck you, and hush now, and oh God…. It was giving in to giving up. It was breaking down all the walls, and standing bare. It was whispered words and cuss words and sorrow, all wrapped into one aching, broken girl.

It was life.

* * *

_A/N: Shit happens guys. Needless to say, Checkyesjulia will no longer be a part of this story. No, she did not die, but she gave up any part of this story the day she gave me up. So, I know it__'s been a while. I've been working on picking up the pieces, and living again. Melodramatic? Fucking sue me.  
Anyway, thank you so much, you're support means the world. Bear with me, this story is going to have some slight alterations made. Reviews make me feel alive.  
Love,  
Kelly_

_Musics:  
_What's Left Of Me _by Blessthefall  
_Mr. Owl Ate My Metal Worm _by D.R.U.G.S.  
_I Will Always Love You _by Whitney Houston  
_All Fall Down _by OneRepublic_

_And just for the fun of it: _Hear You Me _by Jimmy Eat World_


	11. Chapter 10

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 10 - Hear You Me

**Renesmee****'s POV**

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire lifetime to forget them.

Today I found more truth in those words than I ever thought I could.

!#$#!

The ceremony had been perfect, simple, but with a profound elegance that echoed the both of them entirely. The small rooms were adorned with pictures and flowers, friends and family members. Someone had even bribed the people that were in charge of their wakes to play some of Caustic's music - the softer songs, of course.

It seemed to me that the tears, for some people, just wouldn't stop. It made me angry, because I knew that Julia and Cam wouldn't have wanted to people to cry over them. People should be laughing, and remembering the good things about them.

I didn't cry, I wouldn't. I hadn't cried since the night I'd found out, just three nights ago; I couldn't. I didn't even cry when Cameron's house went up for sale, making official the move that had been discussed more and more frequently. I didn't cry when I was told that it was believed that Julia had been pregnant. I didn't cry when Jacob cried, I didn't cry at all.

I didn't cry because they wouldn't have wanted me to.

I couldn't find tears, even now, sitting silently with Jacob in his truck, staring out to the spot where they were to be buried. There wasn't even the cliché rain today.

Part of me still couldn't believe they were really gone. My best friends, they were really gone.

!#$#!

_-Six(ish) years ago-_

"_Daddy!" I squealed, bounding down the steps at lightning speed. I found him at the kitchen table, reading some medical journal or whatever. _

_He looked up at my approach and set his book down on the table with a smile. "Hey, Princess."_

"_Daddy, there's a boy moving in next door!" I exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down in increasing speed._

_His brow furrowed. "A boy?"_

_I nodded quickly and took his hand, using all of my might to pull him up from his seated position. "Yes, daddy, a boy. He's got brown hair and brown eyes, I think. He looks like he's ten, just like me! Can I go meet him, please, daddy, please?"_

"_I don't know, Nessie, maybe we should give them some time to get things settled before you meet him," he refused to move from his seat, instead pulling me towards him. _

"_But, daddy," I whined, "that's not fair! He needs a friend because he just moved here. Why can't I be his friend?"_

_He sighed. "Nessie, I didn't say you couldn't be his friend, I just…come on, now, put the puppy dog eyes away. Ness…Nessie."_

"_Please, daddy?" I whispered, hands clasped together in front of me, lip jutted out and, of course, quivering. _

_He sighed again, this time in resignation. "Alright, fine, we'll go meet him."_

"_Yes!" I took his hand and this time he let me drag him out the garage door, and I immediately took off towards the new kid's house._

_He sat perched on his new front porch, inspecting a scab on his elbow, a skateboard resting on the railing beside him. I stopped in front of him and smiled when he looked up, happy that I had been right about his hair and eyes. _

"_My name is Renesmee Cullen, but you can call me Nessie," I announced with a bright smile. He cocked his head to the side and stared at me for a minute before he smiled back._

"_My name's Cameron Anderson, you can call me Cameron," he nodded. I giggled at his accent and plopped down on the porch next to him, noticing that Edward had been standing behind me. _

_I made a shooing motion with my hand. "You can go now, daddy, Cameron and I are friends."_

_He held his hands up in surrender and backed away before turning in the direction of what appeared to be Cameron's mom, arms laded with boxes. _

"_Did you really mean it?" he asked in a whisper, eyes full of wonder._

_I cocked my head to the side, brow furrowed. "Mean what?"_

"_We're friends?"_

_I smiled and nodded. "Yep! You're stuck with me now, so you had better get used to it."_

_He smiled in return, but quickly hid it, nodding. "Cool."_

_I giggled. Boys were so weird. _

"_Hey, can I show you a trick?" he wondered excitedly, grabbing his skateboard and bounding down the steps. _

"_Cameron Eithan!" his mother yelled after him, causing him to trip, and that was the moment I knew we were going to be friends for a very long time._

!#$#!

"Ness?" Jacob asked quietly, resting a hand on my arm. "You ready to go out there?"

I hesitated for a moment before I nodded, giving Jacob a small, sad smile as he jumped out of the truck. He opened my door for me and held a hand out, helping me down. I smoothed down the black material of my dress for the hundredth time, and Jacob squeezed my hand as we made our way towards the throng of people surrounding the burial site.

I took in each tear stained face with stuttering breaths, my heart constricting painfully in my chest. Kelly was the first to spot us, and consequently the first to hug us. I held her tightly in my arms, burying my face in her neck as she cried silent tears.

"Thank you," she whispered, though what she was thanking me for, I couldn't say. Still, I nodded and squeezed her one final time before letting her go. She gave Jacob a quick hug before she led us towards where her family and Cameron's had gathered.

I quickly made my rounds, hugging all those that I knew, introducing myself to those I didn't. There was even a group of kids from school, and the members of Cameron's band. Joey scooped me up into a hug and planted a kiss on my cheek before he released me.

"Hi," Remi said quietly as he hugged me tightly. He pulled back and held me at arm's length before reaching into his back pocket and producing a CD with a sniffle. "Cameron was meaning to give this to you. We were going to, uh, play it if we ever made it big, ya know? He said you'd understand."

I smiled faintly as I studied the CD, knowing that I would understand what Remi was trying to say once I listened to the song. "Thank you," I whispered, hugging him quickly once more before finding my way towards Cam's mom.

Her eyes were rimmed red, and it looked like she was resting all of her weight on Mitch, standing at her side with an equally downtrodden expression. She offered me a watery smile when she saw me, quickly wrapping me in her arms.

"Oh, Nessie," she murmured, kissing my cheek as she pulled back. Her watery eyes met mine, and I pulled her back into an embrace, just so I didn't have to see her cry. She sniffled against my shoulder, and I buried my face in her neck, breathing deeply to keep the tears away.

She pulled away slowly, swiping under her eyes with a tissue in her hand. She patted my cheek gently and then turned, taking her place beside Cameron's casket as the director took his place at the head of the casket.

His eyes slowly roamed over each face, his own a calm mask, not of indifference, but not of mourning either. He cleared his throat softly before he opened his mouth to repeat the same words he'd said hundreds of times before.

"Today we gather to lie to rest two souls that were taken much too young…"

!#$#!

_-Five years ago-_

"_C'mon Ness, smile."_

_I shook my head jerkily, pursing my lips together even tighter. _

_He sighed and gave a little tug on the end of his hair, irritated by my continuous refusal. _

"_It's not so bad," he offered, to which I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. He rolled his eyes and smiled, showing off his own metal mouth. "See? It's really not that bad."_

_I rolled my eyes in response and looked away, folding my arms and resting my chin on them. Cam sighed next to me and leaned back on the steps. We were quiet for some time, both of us refusing to look at the other. _

_Cam was humming under his breath and I was finding shapes in the clouds when there was a tug on my ponytail. I turned my head sharply and gave a sharp intake of breath when I saw how close Cam had gotten. _

"_I'm going to make you smile," he said with determination. I swallowed and licked my chapped lips, not offering him a response. _

_Suddenly his lips were on mine, soft and gentle, and all too soon, they were gone. He pulled back with a blush on his face, and I couldn't help the smile that broke out across my face, metal mouth be damned. I touched a finger to my lips, silently rejoicing, because yeah, I liked Cam. _

"_Told you I'd make you smile," he muttered, hiding his face. "Besides, everyone needs a first kiss. Why not with your best friend?" He shrugged._

_I giggled and he looked sideways at me, offering a smirk. I bit my lip, and this time, it was me that kissed him. _

"_Soo," he cleared his throat, face burning, and looked up at the sky, "find anything interesting up there?"_

_I smiled wider and shook my head. Boys were so weird._

!#$#!

I laid a single red rose on each of the cherry wood caskets that held the remains of my best friends. I touched my fingers to my lips and then to the wood, my final goodbye. With my hand in Jacob's, we walked the perimeter of the site, as I refused to see the tears fall from his eyes.

"Ness, please," he whispered, pulling me to a stop in front of him. I shut my eyes tight and let out a breath, feeling his arms encircle me. This was backwards, wasn't it? I mean, they were barely his friends, he hadn't known them for most of his memorable life. He didn't hold the memories that I did…so how was this right?

His tears angered me. He shouldn't cry for them, no one should. It wasn't what they would have wanted. They would have wanted laughter, and love. They would have wanted people to remember the good times, _God dammit. _This was wrong, so wrong, all of it_ wrong. _

"Stop," I breathed, fighting his arms as they held me tight. I struggled to break free as the absence of their presence, always by my side, burrowed deep into my heart.

"_Promise we'll be best friends forever?" I giggled._

_She laughed. "Forever!"_

"Let me go," I ordered, teeth grinding together as I pushed against his chest, eyes stinging with unshed tears. His body shook with silent sobs, and a single, angry tear leaked free from my shut eyes, leaving a salty trail to my lips, where it disappeared.

"I said, _let me go, _Jacob," I demanded through clenched teeth, pushing with all that I had against him. He stumbled back a step, and I felt fear run through me as I saw his face, my Jacob, so broken.

"Nessie, baby," he sobbed. I tensed; eyes shut tight, hands clenched.

"_Forever and ever?" I wondered._

"_To infinity and beyond," he smiled._

"Y-you didn't even _know _them," I breathed, body shuddering as I held every muscle tight.

"Ness, I hurt because you hurt," he whispered, arms outstretched towards me.

"Don't touch me." I took a step away from him, my eyes refusing to meet his, refusing to see what I couldn't feel.

"You didn't even know them," I whispered, before I turned and ran in the opposite direction, tears that I shouldn't have been crying, sliding effortlessly down my face, as Jacob called brokenly after me.

!#$#!

_-Four years ago-_

_Cam and I stared quietly at the ink-black rushing water, shoulder to shoulder. Our fingers were loosely intertwined, only strong friendship linking them together. I knew this would be the last night I would talk to Cameron, my best friend, because I'd told him too much. _

_I rested my head on his shoulder, following the line of the retreating water as my words settled around us. He hadn't uttered a single word the entire time, and I knew it must be killing him to keep so quiet - it was so unlike him. He sighed, and I felt the gentle pressure of his head on top of mine, silence encasing us as moonlight danced across the waters. _

"_Things aren't so bad Butterfly, not anymore," Cam said quietly, squeezing my hand briefly before I sat up to look at him. Moonlight sparkled in his dark eyes, as they watched me carefully._

"_I guess not," I replied, then, "Why 'Butterfly?'"_

_He smiled, teeth straight and perfect from years of orthodontia. "That's easy. You've changed."_

_My brow furrowed as I looked back at the retreating water, watching it chase itself back up-shore. "Changed?"_

_He shrugged and leaned back on his arms, the gangly twelve-year-old limbs that were too big for his frame. "Well sure. I mean, you don't live in fear anymore. You've changed for the better. From gross creepy crawly green thing to butterfly. All because of the people that surround you. So, Butterfly, because Caterpillar is who you were with your father."_

_I nodded absently, mentally preparing myself to separate from him. Tonight would be the last night I would talk to him, I vowed to myself, and silently to him. I refused to drag him into my world. _

_He sighed and threw an arm around my shoulder, pulling me tight into his side. I smiled and gathered the warmth that he offered. "And Butterfly, because that means you can fly away if things get to be too bad, ya know?"_

"_Would you fly with me?" I whispered._

"_Of course. Forever," he answered immediately._

"_Forever and ever?" I persisted, committing his coffee brown eyes to memory, the way his smile lit up his face._

"_To infinity and beyond," he assured, a smile crinkling his eyes at the corners. _

_A final goodbye, just for me._

!#$#!

The swing creaked as I sat on the decaying plastic, flecks of rust flittering past my face as the chains moved. The park that had once been my home - if only for a day - had seen better days.

The tunnel slide that had once sheltered me was no longer shiny plastic blue, instead covered in what some would consider art, what most would call graffiti. The wood chips lie dull and gray on the ground, no longer the vibrant red that had served as my bed.

Was this what it felt like to be lost? My home was destroyed, my friends were no more, and I was incapable of feeling anything more than pain. I pushed away the ones who tried to love me, feeling nothing as I did.

I sighed heavily as the wind twirled locks of hair away from my face. I wondered if that old saying was true. Something about all lost things being found. Could I be found? Was it even possible? Or had I given up that chance long ago? Was it hopeless for others to even try anymore?

I breathed deep, hearing the faint echo of my name as Jacob neared my hiding spot. A twinge of something familiar tickled my nose, its memory of the edge of my consciousness. The rustle of leaves, the snap of a twig, these were all familiar sounds, so why was the hair on the back of my neck standing up?

It hit me at the same time he found me; something was very, _very _wrong. Before I had the chance to open my mouth, his hand was covering it, his voice shushing me. Jacob was close, _so close_, but just not close enough.

My muffled cries stood no chance of being heard as he began to drag me farther and farther away from the dilapidated playground that had once served as a temporary home. A home that he had forced me into.

That smell; it was the whiskey that he drank. The fear; it was his presence. The man who was supposed to protect me, bringing upon me the worst things I'd known in life.

"Daddy's found you, Renesmee. It's time to go home."

* * *

_A/N: Well, um. *cough cough* Sooo, hi, how is everybody? Good? That__'s good. Yeah. Alright, well, here ya go. I know I made you wait a long time, and I apologize. This chapter was really hard to write. And I'm sad to say this, but Wings will be coming to an end soon. But don't fret, my pretties, I will continue to write, if not on FF, then on FP. Mm, yes, that is all I need to say, I believe. Reviews keep Nessie safe (;  
Looove,  
Kelly  
P.S. Shit guys, I made myself cry! Nut up or shut up, bitch. Thanks Megan!_

_Music: Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World_


	12. Chapter 11

**| A/N: The times are just to give you a rough estimate of the time-span this all takes place. Clearly, time is still moving forward. Also keep in mind; the characters don****'t exactly know the time. Oh, and, uh, tissue warning.|**

* * *

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 11 - Whiskey Lullaby

**Renesmee****'s POV**

Thursday, May 12**  
**..: 04:17:31 PM :..

I was consumed by darkness.

Not the darkness of unconsciousness, no, I was entirely conscious. It really was just that dark where I was - the coat closet by the front door in my father's house. I couldn't tell you how long I had been here; minutes? Hours? There was no way for me to distinguish time, and I held no desire to do so.

My body ached, bruised by his angry fists as I struggled against his hold as he dragged me to his car. It had been parked just beyond the trees by the park, hidden just out of sight, almost as if he had planned the entire thing.

Knowing my father, he probably had.

Even still, it didn't make any sense to me. I was of no use to him, if he was really dying. There was nothing I could do to make anything easier or better for him, so why now? I dropped my head into my hands with a groan, my tender wrist protesting from the added weight. Motherfucker hurt like a bitch, thanks to him and the push-pull, dragging he'd done to get me into the car.

The house shifted and groaned, and somewhere not too far away, someone was shuffling through a drawer; probably my father looking for something. The drawer slammed shut and I flinched as the sound echoed through the house. There were a few footsteps, and then the squeak of metal springs protesting as I assumed he sat down on the bed. There was a very distinct _click _and my breath hitched in my throat as I rose to my feet in panic.

My hand instinctively went to the door handle, twisting uselessly. Tears sprang to my eyes, and he began to speak, words I couldn't hear, but words I knew all the same: a prayer.

"No, no, no," I whispered, my palm smacking against the wood of the door, begging him to let me out, begging him to stop. I paused, glass shattered, and silence ensued. My breathing was heavy, my throat tight, and I leaned my forehead against the door as I said a prayer of my own.

A gunshot pierced the silence, followed by my scream, and I sank to my knees in desperation, a prayer on my lips.

**Jacob****'s POV**

Thursday, May 12  
..: 11:08:24 AM :..

I followed dejectedly after Nessie, sniffling, and scrubbing at my itchy eyes, my vision blurred with tears. I fucking hated crying, hadn't done much of it since my mom was buried all those years ago, but it was hard for me to see Ness hurting so much, and to know there wasn't much I could do about it.

I frowned when the park came into view, but Nessie was no where to be seen.

"Nessie?" I called, my eyes scanning the surrounding area. I sniffled and rubbed my arm under my nose, as my heart gave a painful squeeze in my chest.

"Renesmee!" I yelled, my eyes flickering faster around the area. The absence of sound was all that I could hear, and my eyes welled up with more tears. "No, no, no…"

I ran forward, towards the swing, and stopped in my tracks as I saw the CD Remi had given Nessie, still tucked safely in the sleeve, lying carelessly on the ground. And just beyond the CD, her shoes.

"God, no," I choked, "Nessie!"

With fumbling fingers, I reached for my cell phone, dropped it once, before I pressed the speed dial that would connect me to her. But, no… "_Hey, it's Nessie! I can't get to the phone right now, so-"_

"Shit," I breathed, blinking furiously as my vision blurred, my chest tight. Something was wrong here, very wrong. She wouldn't do this to me, she _couldn't. _Choking back a sob, I scrolled through my contacts and selected one. I held it to my ear with shaking fingers, chanting "Pick up, pick up," under my breath.

"_Hello?"_ he answered and I broke. Sobbed like a mother-fucking baby.

"E-Edward," I stuttered, "She…she - oh fuck."

"_Jacob?" _he asked frantically, and I heard the jingle of keys and the slam of a door. _"Jacob, where are you? I need you to take a deep breath and tell me what's going on."_

I sobbed and bit down hard on my trembling lip. "She's gone. Nessie…she's gone."

- - - - -  
Thursday, May 12  
..: 11:31:54 AM :..

Inhale.

Exhale.

Breathe.

That's what they keep telling me.

But how do you breathe when you can't find your lungs?

Acid on my tongue.

Bile in my throat.

A choke.

A gag.

Water; I need water.

The cops are asking me questions, but I don't have their answers.

"…_any idea where…"_

"…_mention leaving?"_

"…_possible kidnapping…"_

"…_amber alert…"_

I can only shake my head.

Nothing. I know nothing.

- - - - -  
Thursday, May 12  
..: 12:01:02 PM :..

I'm pacing.

They ask me to stop, but I have to do _something. _

They're all here.

Her family.

And I'm empty.

And it aches.

And tears.

So many tears.

It hurts, God, it hurts…_so much._

I fall to my knees.

And I pray.

- - - - -  
Thursday, May 12  
..: 12:23:42 PM :..

A sedative, they tell me.

If I can't stop.

I don't care.

Too much hurt.

Too many tears.

Nails bloody, bitten to the quick.

Knuckles bruised, cracked plaster.

Still no answers.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Breathe.

Scream.

- - - - -  
Thursday, May 12  
..: 12:58:00 PM :..

I need to eat, they say.

The thought makes me nauseous.

What if my Nessie has no food?

The thought makes me vomit.

Bella screams at Edward.

Calls him a liar.

I don't understand, but it's not right.

She pushes him.

He takes it.

Still no closer to finding her.

**Edward****'s POV**

Thursday, May 12  
..: 01:27:13 PM :..

"My daughter, please, you have to find my daughter," I beg.

"Dr. Cullen, we're doing all that we can to locate Renesmee," the officer tells me gently.

I drop my head into my hands, pull my hair by the roots, and sob quietly. I'm sorry, so sorry. I'm hollow. I ache.

Empty.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Breathe.

It's all I can do. It's all that _we _can do - our broken family.

"Edward," she whimpers, and my eyes meet hers, my rooted brown.

I shake my head sadly. "So sorry…"

A finger over my lips silences me. "Hush. I never should have made you promise that."

She catches my tears, and I break.

I fall.

She cries with me, and I know I need to be strong.

For my family.

But I can't.

Can't breathe.

"I'm sorry," she breathes, and it's not just for me.

It's for Nessie.

I nod, because I understand.

"Tell her," I whisper.

She breathes.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Her fingers dig into my shoulders.

"Promise?"

I shake my head sadly.

I can't make that promise.

I can't lie.

I can't make everything okay.

She nods slowly.

Her eyes well with tears.

And we break all over again.

Breathe.

Just breathe.

**Jacob****'s POV**

Thursday, May 12  
..: 02:13:09 PM :..

They'll call us if they find anything, they tell us.

And they leave.

And the silence is deafening.

I drag myself up to her room and collapse on her bed.

I close my eyes.

And I hold my breath.

Because it looks like her.

And it smells like her.

And I think, maybe, I might just die if they don't find her soon.

Yeah, melodramatic.

But I need her.

Need to see her.

Need to feel her.

Need to know she's safe.

Need to tell her I love her.

So I say another prayer.

And I hope that God is listening.

- - - - -  
Thursday, May 12  
..: 03:24:56 PM :..

I sleep, because I don't know what else to do.

And when I wake up, it still hurts just as much.

There is something bothering me.

Something I feel is obvious, but I just can't see.

It's screaming at me, but I just can't hear it.

It claws at my conscious mind, until its all I can think about, but I still don't know what it is.

So I breathe.

And I think.

And I pray.

And I hope.

- - - - -  
Thursday, May 12  
..: 04:17:31 PM :..

They call, because they found something.

A suspicious car.

A witness.

And a gunshot.

And it all clicks in my mind.

I know where she is.

And without waiting for the police to confirm what I already know, I run.

To her.

- - - - -  
Thursday, May 12  
..: 05:29:17 :..

It took longer than it should have for me to get here. She's here, and I know because I can feel her, because I can fucking breathe, _finally. _The house has fallen apart over time, but that doesn't surprise me.

I took the necessary steps into the house, not bothering to knock, because if I get the chance, I'll kill the fucker. The scent of whiskey was strong in the small house, nearly suffocating. The silence was deafening, and I held my breath, eyes flickering around the space.

I took slow, measured steps, towards the back of the house, where I know his bedroom is located. I know I don't have much time until the police arrive, and I will do what I have to do.

But when I stepped around the corner, I saw that he had already beaten me to it. A bottle of whiskey lay shattered on the floor, and he lied on the bed with a bullet hole in his head, a picture in his hand and a note by his head.

I breathed through my nose, because the stench of decay was overwhelming, and I backed out of the room. A soft whimper found its way to me, and my eyes zeroed in on the coat closet by the front door. I had walked right by her.

I ran to her, and I placed my palm on the hardwood. I breathed, finally.

"Nessie," I said through the door, and she sobbed in response. I heard her clawing at the door, and she screamed, and I flinched.

"Nessie, baby, I need you to calm down," I pleaded with her, giving an experimental twist to the doorknob; it didn't open. I cursed under my breath and ran a hand through my hair. She's screaming, and sobbing, and it's killing me, inch by fucking inch.

"Baby, I need you to listen to me," I said sternly, and I listened as she quieted, her cries only whimpers. "I need to kick the door in, okay? I need you to get as far away as you can from the door so it doesn't hurt you, do you understand?"

"J-Jacob," she whimpered, and I died, I swear to God, "it's dark, Jacob, it's too dark."

But she was hysterical, and she didn't listen to me.

"Nessie!" I yelled, and she quieted, and I rested my forehead on the wood. "I know its dark, baby, I'm trying to get you out. I need you to get as far away from the door as you can. Can you do that for me?"

She whimpered, but she shuffled backwards, and I breathed out in relief. The door fell in easily, and Ness flew out. Well, limped out, really. Her wrists were bruised, one swollen, her dress was torn, her face was scratched, her nails were bloody. Christ, I'd kill the son of a bitch all over again.

I scooped her up into my arms, and kissed the ever loving shit out of her. "God, Nessie, I missed you."

She choked on a sob, but said nothing. I carried her outside, and began the walk back to her house. But then I was torn, because she was hurt, and she needed to go to the hospital. And then the wail of a siren made the decision for me.

Everything after that was a flurry of activity. The paramedics took her from me, and Charlie and a few other police officers went inside the house. Edward and Bella rushed her, and it was decided that they would ride with her to the hospital, and I'd catch a ride with Emmett there. I was a nervous wreck, leaving her, but it was better, because I could breathe.

**Renesmee****'s POV**

Thursday, May 12  
..: 07:15:34 PM :..

I hated hospitals, always had. But right now I was kinda grateful for them.

I was in stable condition, my wrist was in a cast, my ankle in a brace, and my cuts were bandaged. I was going to be fine, I would heal - physically. The mental aspect was a whole other world.

Currently Emmett was telling me a funny story, and damn, it felt good to laugh. The whole family was crammed inside the tiny hospital room, and I'd never felt more at peace.

Sorta.

There was one thing I needed to do, and it was killing me just thinking about it, which is why I wasn't thinking about it - not presently, anyway. Jacob's presence was massive to me, perched on the vinyl chair by my bedside. I hadn't said much to him, in preparation for what was to come, but he didn't seem to notice anything different.

But like I said, I didn't want to think about it right now.

Anyway, Bella apologized for her behavior recently, and I don't really care what spurred it, but I thanked her, and I forgave her, and we weren't as good as we used to be, but we would be, in time.

My nurse came in then, and she frowned at the amount of people in the room, but she said nothing. She gave me a shot of pain medication through the IV I had and disappeared as quickly as she had come.

We were all quiet for a while, and I knew what they were thinking about, and it kinda made my heart hurt that they were all thinking about what could have happened. But I was happy to have them here, all of them. Even Peyton, who was curled up on my Grandma Renee's lap, a blanket covering her sleeping form.

"Hey guys," I said quietly, gaining everyone's attention. It almost made me want to laugh. Almost. "Could you give Jacob and me a few minutes, please?"

It was comical to see their eyes flicker back and forth between our faces, but one by one, they filed out of the room. I sighed when we were alone, and he sat on the edge of my bed, twining our fingers together.

"I love you," he murmured, his fingers tracing the shape of my cast. I choked down my tears and offered him a smile.

"Jacob, I…thank you," I whispered and gave his hand a little squeeze. He smiled sadly and kissed the back of my hand, and I think I died a little inside, because I was about to throw this away.

"No need to thank me, I had to do it," he said with steel in his eyes.

"You know…how much I love you, right?" I wondered thickly, my voice trembling.

"Of course I do," he smiled, "almost as much as I love you."

I nodded mutely, and removed my hand from his. His brow furrowed in confusion, and his dark eyes met mine.

"Jacob, I think, um…I think we should, _God_," my lip trembled and I covered my mouth with my hand.

"Nessie, what is it? Tell me, honey, what's wrong?"

I shook my head and swallowed the lump in my throat. "I think we should break up."

**Jacob****'s POV**

Thursday, May 12  
..: 07:38:25 :..

"I think we should break up."

I froze, but my mind reeled. Break up? She wanted to…Christ, this couldn't be happening.

"Nessie, I don't, um…you want to, what? I mean, why? I don't understand." Hadn't she just told me how much she loved me?

"Jacob, I can't…I can't hurt you like this anymore, I can't, no, I _won't._ It's killing me, I won't do it," she said with a nod of conviction, but there was nothing behind her words. She didn't mean it…she was just trying to protect me…from what?

"Nessie, I-"

"Jacob, please," she interrupted me. Her eyes swam in tears, and my heart broke a little, because she was trying so damn hard to break mine, but she was only breaking hers.

"So you're not giving me a choice," I realized, but oddly, I felt no different. I would get her back, I knew I would. She would be mine. We'd get over this, I knew it. Things would go back to normal, because I would fight for us. Always.

She shook her head and smiled sadly. "I made the choice."

I breathed out slowly, and took her hand in mine again. "You know I'll fight for you, right? I'll always fight for you. I'd even fight_ you _for you."

She sobbed once and my eyes found hers. Her lip trembled and she bit down on it, and still there was no resolve on her face. I would get her back.

"I'll give you the time you need, Renesmee, and it'll be hell for me, but I'll never give up. I swear to you, I won't give up. Nessie," I murmured, and she looked at me, "look at me and tell me you don't see our future together."

A tear streaked down her face and she shook her head. I kissed the tear and smiled softly against her skin.

"Because we were meant to be together, always. I'll give you this, Nessie, but I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you've figured this out. I love you, Nessie, always," I whispered.

"Forever," she sobbed, and I stood slowly, giving her exactly what she wanted. Time.

For Nessie, I had all the time in the world. Because she would be mine. She would always be mine.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, okay then. What the fudge is that girl thinking? And why does Jacob seem so sure? Hmm. So many things to think about. Guys, I promise you an HEA, so don't get your knickers in a twist. Kay? Kay. And Bella is back in the game now, I swear. And, and, and! It's a long chapter. Yay! I win. Okay. So. Send me some loooove, you know you want to.

Le song for le chapter issss: Whiskey Lullaby by Brad Paisley (Fits her dad, perfectly. Just sayin'.)

I don't normally do this, but y'all have to read **Firefly In Summer** by primarycolors it's just so damn beautiful. Honestly.

Oookay, long AN, sorry about that. I look forward to reading your reviews, they're like my sunshine (:

Love y'all!  
XO ~ Kelly


	13. Chapter 12

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 12 - Northern Wind

"While I sleep, I dream of you, and when I wake, I long to hold you in my arms. If anything, our time apart has only made me more certain that I want to spend my nights by your side, and my days with your heart." - Nicholas Sparks

**Renesmee's POV**

I sat cross-legged in the center of my bed, a fleece blanket thrown over my knees, and Bella at my back, dragging the brush through my hair with practiced strokes. She hummed an unfamiliar tune under her breath, the only sound in the otherwise silent house.

The last month had been difficult for everyone, so we relished times like these. I had seriously regressed over the weeks, and everyone had been walking on eggshells around me. For example, all doors had to be open at all times inside, and if someone accidentally closed one, and I saw it, I flipped. It was sort of like I had a flashback to being stuck in that closet and all I could do was scream and try to fight my way out of it. Yeah, they didn't forget after that.

Then, of course, there were the nightmares. Much more intense than the ones I used to have, and half the time when I woke up from one of them, Edward had to give me a mild sedative, one that had been prescribed to me, to get me to calm down. The other half of the time, I just crawled into bed with them.

I was seeing a shrink, of course. One other than Jasper, because he said he couldn't detach himself from the situation anymore; it was hurting him just as much as it hurt me. Everyone was handling me with kid gloves, because I had taken to acting such as a two-year old would. Tantrums if I didn't get what I wanted, that sort of thing.

I did a lot of missing Jacob, but I knew I just wasn't ready to deal with our relationship. Still, his absence was like a giant void in my life. And a lot of the time, it hurt. It hurt to the point where I'd hold the phone in my hand, thumb hovering over the SEND button. Then I'd burst into tears and set the phone down, knowing I needed to give myself time.

I snuggled back into Bella's chest, and I heard her set the brush on the bedside table before wrapping her arms around me. She sighed against my head and placed a kiss in my hair.

"Mommy?" I whispered, fearful to raise my voice in the silence of the room. "Do you think I made the right choice?"

She sighed and flexed her arms around me, holding me tighter for just the briefest of moments. "I think you did what you thought was right at the time."

I shook my head angrily, my brow furrowed and my lips in a pout. "That's not what I asked."

"Honestly, Renesmee," she murmured and kissed the top of my head, "no, I don't think you made the right choice. Jacob can give you something neither your father nor I will ever be able to, and I think you need that now, more than ever."

I twisted my torso to meet her, my brown eyes flooding with tears. "Then what do I do?"

She gave a breathless chuckle, her stare incredulous. "Nessie, honey, have you not noticed the endless ringing of the house phone? The constant knocking on the door? Jacob hasn't gone anywhere; all you need to do is tell him you're sorry. Tell him that you need him; tell him the truth."

It was then that I heard the creak of the hardwood outside my door and I whipped my head in that direction. Edward crept slowly into the room, his hands tucked into his back pockets and his head down. His green eyes stared above my head before they flickered down to me.

"Your mother's right, you know," he murmured, taking tentative steps into my room. He lay on his side next to us, head propped up by his hand. "Jacob loves you more than I think I'm comfortable with, but he gives you something neither one of us have ever been able to - security. He's familiar in a way that you've never let either one of us become, and you need him."

I sniffled and swiped away a tear that coursed down my cheek. "I miss him."

Bella nodded behind me and Edward sighed, running his free hand through his hair. He picked up my phone from my bedside table and placed it in my open palm, curling my fingers softly around it. "Call him."

I fiddled with the phone, locking and unlocking it, as Edward and Bella got up, kissed me on the forehead, and quietly left my room. I sighed and carefully lay back on the bed, my thumb hovering over the SEND button, just as I'd done so many times before. I shut my eyes tight and hit that tiny green button.

It only rang once. "_'__Lo?__"_

I blew out a shaky breath, and brought my hand to my mouth to stifle the sob that was stuck in my throat.

Silence. Again. "_Hello?__"_

Silence.

Quietly: "_Renesmee?__"_

A deep breath. "I'm sorry."

It was his turn to breathe out. He gave a breathless chuckle and said quickly, "_I__'__ll __be __right __there_."

**Jacob's POV**

To say that I had been anticipating her call would be an extreme understatement. It had been all I could think of the past month; _she _was all I could think of. Sure, I'd called her parents plenty of times, and I'd gone over her house in hopes to see her. But I wasn't stupid enough to think that just by being persistent, I could get anywhere with her.

This is why, when my phone finally rang, her name on the display and that cute picture of her with that beautiful Renesmee smile popped up on my phone, my heart stuttered.

I didn't hesitate to answer. She did, however, hesitate to answer me. I heard the shallow breathing, the choking back of a sob. _Baby, __what __have __you __done __to __yourself?_

And finally, I spoke her name; quietly, so as not to startle her.

She drew in a deep breath, and I held mine. My heart thundered in my chest, begging, _begging, _for her to want me. _Say __the __word, __baby, __and __I__'__m __there. __Forever __and __for __always._

"_I__'__m __sorry._"

I felt weightless at her words. A breathless chuckle escaped me, and I said the words I knew we both wanted to hear: "I'll be right there."

**Renesmee's POV**

I hobbled down the stairs, phone clutched to my ear, the dial tone strong in my ear. _He__'__s__coming, __he__'__s__coming, __he__'__s__coming__…__Jacob. _My heart was in my throat, I could feel the racing pulse from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. My entire body buzzed with the anticipation of seeing him. _God, _how I'd missed him. A month without him was torture. It was a year without rain. And maybe that was very cliché of me to say, but I couldn't find it in me to care; it was true.

I was momentarily blinded as I opened the front door, sunlight reflecting off the white moving truck parked in front of the Anderson's house. Instead of moving out, though, someone new was moving in. My breath left me in a _whoosh,_ my heart giving a painful squeeze, strong enough for me to grab the handrail and question whether or not I'd taken my medication this morning.

I did my best not to think about Cam, or Julia for that matter. There absence from my life was crippling. And this, seeing life moving forward as if they never existed, well, that was the hardest part. All I had left were pictures and memories, and they would never be enough compared to the real thing.

"Um, hello? Excuse me?"

My breath caught in my throat as I turned my head in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. A tall, thin, dirty-blonde girl stood in front of me. Her skin was a golden tan and her eyes were amber-flecked gray. Her voice was heavy with a Texan accent, her smile wide and bright.

"My name is Gabrielle, we just moved in next door. I hate to bother y'all, but my daddy's so stubborn sometimes," she chuckled, the wind twisting tendrils of her curly blonde hair. I was unable to respond, fear gripping me in a way I couldn't describe.

I couldn't know her, wouldn't let myself. That house was death; it had killed all good memories, and she stood in front of me, friendly and waiting, making new memories every time she stepped inside that house.

"I was just wonderin' if maybe y'all could give us a hand movin' some furniture?" her voice was soft in the air, but still, I could only shake my head; _no, __no. __It__'__s __wrong, __all __wrong. _She was sweet, I could tell, and maybe if it was any other time, we would have been friends, _best __friends. _But no, she was covering him up, erasing him with her presence inside his house.

Her smile faded as I shook my head, tears covering my eyes, but not falling. Her gentle, happy expression clouded with confusion, her eyes flickering to my face and away.

"Did I-" she paused, drawing her lower lip into her mouth and pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. One, two, three piercings visible now. "Did I do something wrong?"

Her question was drowned out by the rumble of Jacob's truck stopping in front of my house. He barely had time to turn The Beast off before he was jumping from the driver's seat, running up the driveway towards me. All I could think of in that moment was how stupid I'd been to tell him to go in the first place. Everything was so much worse when he was gone, and so much better when he was right by my side - exactly where I wanted him to stay.

Always and forever.

His steps faltered as he drew nearer to me, his eyes heavy with pain, flickering towards Gabrielle for only the briefest of moments in question. I whimpered in agony, being so close to him, and so far away at the same time.

He walked past Gabrielle like she didn't even exist, even though she was giving him _'__the __eye;__'_ you know, the universal sign for, 'I want what's in your pants. Now.' Yeah, that look. His eyes raked over my form desperately, and seemingly satisfied with what he found, he crushed me to his chest, stretching me up on tiptoes to wrap my arms around him.

"Nessie," he breathed, choked, "God, baby, I missed you so much."

I held him tighter, face buried in his neck, fingernails digging into his shoulders, anchoring myself to him. He breathed in deep and held it, squeezed me one final time before he took a step back. His eyes jumped over my form, pausing at the bruises covering my arms, the cast on my wrist, the brace on my foot. He muttered something too quick for me to hear, and swept me up, into his arms before I had the chance to blink.

He carried me up to my bedroom, lying us down on my bed, leaving his arms wrapped around me, and burying his face in my neck. When he looked up, eyes glassy and bloodshot, silver tear tracks on his russet face, the tears fell from my eyes.

Jacob hushed me gently, kissing every inch of my face, his tears becoming my tears as they fell. I couldn't see him clearly through the tears, but I couldn't stop them from falling.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Jacob, s-so sorr-y," I sobbed into his neck, clutching him tighter still. I felt like such a monster for ruining what we had. How could I break someone so sweet and let them pick up the pieces?

He shook his head, kissing my palm, wrist, fingers, every inch of skin that he could find. "Don't apologize, sweet girl, it's alright, everything's okay, I'm here, you're here, we're together, I love you."

I nodded slowly as he kissed the tears on my cheeks. "I love you, Jacob, so much. Forever."

"Always," he vowed, tucking me into his chest, his head buried in my hair.

I never wanted to move. I never wanted to have to let him go. I never wanted that moment to end; Suspend it in time and forget the rest. All I needed was Jacob.

!#$#!

Jacob and I fell asleep that way, twisted and tangled within ourselves, clinging to one another. I woke just before he did, and took the time to just look at him. He was beautiful, really. Handsome, whatever. His mouth was open just a little, and he had the cutest little snore, which meant he was in a deep sleep. I felt so bad for putting him through the past couple of months, really I did. He was way too good to me.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered suddenly, causing my heart to race. His voice was raspy and breathy; sex. He placed an open-mouthed kiss on my neck as I fisted his shirt in my hands. I'd never wanted him so much.

"I'm not tired," I said lowly, biting my bottom lip as my fingers danced down his side, hooking my fingers into his belt loops and pulling him closer to me, his torso hovering above mine.

His eyes were dark with lust, yet his body was holding him back. He licked his lips slowly before he attached them softly to my neck, his other hand traveling to the hem of my t-shirt, tracing a line back and forth above the band of my shorts. Hand splayed out across my stomach, he inched his way higher, fingering the lace at the edge of my bra before pulling the cup out of the way to tease me.

I stifled a moan as his teeth nipped at my neck, his warm tongue licking away the sting. His knee nudged mine apart, his hips settling between my legs. His other hand tugged at the bottom of my shirt, pulling it upward. As his lips left mine for the briefest of moments to pull my shirt over my head, our eyes met. Anger, lust, passion, love, everything we'd felt in the past months was evident. And I knew Jacob and I were not going to be gentle.

Our lips clashed, my fingers fumbling for the hem of his t-shirt, before he reached behind him and yanked it over his head, throwing it somewhere across the room. Kissing down my neck, he sucked at the hollow of my throat as his hand traveled below the waistband of my shorts. His free hand swiftly reached behind me to unhook my bra, quickly discarding it over his shoulder before attaching his lips to my nipple.

I arched into his mouth, threading my fingers through his hair and tugging. I whimpered, tossing my head to the side at the sensations he was creating within my body. His mouth disappeared and I groaned at the cool air.

His lips appeared at my ear, sucking the lobe into his mouth, while whispering breathily, "You have to be quiet, sweet girl." He punctuated his words with a thrust of his hips. I hissed, clenching my eyes tight, and scratching my nails down his back.

"Fuck," I whimpered, reaching for the button on his jeans, popping it open and quickly unzipping his pants. I shoved my hand inside his boxers, feeling him hard for me already. I took him in my hand, stroking him slowly. He dropped his head with a groan, thrusting into my hand.

With a low growl, he removed my hands from him, pinning them above me with one of his own, his free hand tugging my shorts down my legs, leaving me in nothing but my yellow panties. He chuckled lowly as his hand slipped underneath the cotton.

"Sexy, baby," he teased, lips whispering over mine, fingers teasing, drawing sounds from my throat. Jacob knew exactly how to play me.

I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth, biting it softly. He groaned, closing his eyes tightly, flexing his hips into me. Using my feet, I pushed his jeans down his legs, not wasting any time in quickly removing his black boxer briefs as well.

I took him in my hand again, watching as he grew harder with each pass of my hand and every twist of my wrist.

"_Fuck, _Ness," he grunted, fingers slipping inside me as he sucked my nipple into his mouth, licking, nipping, sucking. His mouth trailed to the valley between my breasts and lower, tongue flicking at the dangly piece of jewelry at my navel.

"Jacob," I moaned, hips swiveling, begging, begging to fall. "_Please__…_"

"Please what?" he teased, tongue swirling around my navel, sucking, licking, teasing. Always teasing.

"I want you," I whimpered, lips searching, seeking heated flesh, dragging over the rough stubble covering his jaw.

He pushed the yellow cotton separating us down my legs, holding himself above me on strong, yet trembling arms. Indecision flickered in his dark eyes, but I didn't allow him any time to change his mind. Taking him in my hand, I slipped a condom over his length before I pumped him once, twice, before aligning him with me, arching up to allow him to slip inside.

I lost my breath as he entered, he moaned, dropping his forehead to my shoulder. He didn't move swiftly at first, allowing me to adjust to his girth before he picked up speed. It was frantic, and not at all gentle. It was exactly what we needed, and we held each other after we found our separate releases.

He stayed inside of me for as long as he could, slipping gently outside of me, muffling my whimper with his soft lips. After disposing of the condom, he crawled into bed with me, tucking me into his warm, naked flesh, cocooning me in his warmth.

"I love you," he hummed, lips tangling the hair on my forehead, eyes closed, bodies sated.

I kissed his jaw and whispered that I loved him, too, before we both fell into a dreamless sleep.

!#$#!

When we woke again, the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon. The moon cast a faint glow through the window, illuminating Jacob's russet skin as he lay next to me, limbs tangled and twisted.

Faint whispers and hushed words could be heard from the kitchen, but we paid them no mind. Our bodies protested from laying in one place for too long, our stomachs demanding food, but we didn't move. We drank each other in with our eyes, noticing things that had changed in the month we'd spent apart.

"Your hair's longer," I noted softly, scratching at his scalp gently. He hummed, leaning into my fingers.

"I was going to get it cut, but the shop's been really busy lately and I didn't have time," he explained quietly, eyes tracing my features as fingers danced over the blue cast covering my wrist, his eyes silently seeking a question of his own.

"Carlisle said it should be about two more weeks before I can take it off. I don't mind it much. Auden had fun 'making it pretty' for me," I smiled as I said her name. She never failed to make me smile.

"She is pretty great," Jacob agreed, tracing the stick figures of her and I. "Do you…I mean, you know, do you want kids some day?"

"Of course I do," I answered breathlessly, cradling his face in my hands, seeking answers to questions that I never knew I had until now.

His eyes bore into mine, insecurity written plainly on his features. "Would you want them with me?"

I kissed him slowly as I straddled him. Brushing my hair behind my ears, I rested my chin on his chest. "I couldn't imagine having them with anyone else. I told you that I love you forever and for always, Jacob. Until we're ninety-nine, with fifteen grandkids, and your hair is gray. Even after that. You're it for me, Jacob, I hope you know that. I was stupid this past month, I know that. But I want you to know that every time I see my future, I see you right by my side, and I wouldn't want it any other way."

The smile that lit up his face was breathtaking. His lips captured mine as he rolled us over so we were laying on our sides once again. He chuckled as he pulled away, teasingly asking, "Marry me?"

I pretended to think about it, scrunching my face up before smiling big and answering, "Yes!"

I laughed as he tickled my sides, batting his hands away as he lowered his lips to my ear. "I'm going to hold you to that."

I kissed him soundly. "I hope that you do."

* * *

AN: Ahem, yes, I acknowledge my suckiness. So, reviews would be nice. And a vote for the poll on my profile. Yeah. _Northern Wind _by City and Colour is the song for this chapter, and I'm excited because I get to see him on Sunday (:

Oh yes, thank you to Megan. And you, yes you. You're amazing.

Mwah!


	14. Chapter 13

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 13 - You're Dead Wrong

**Renesmee's POV**

I was going to throw Jasmine out the window.

I swear.

She just wouldn't. Shut. Up.

It started that morning, when what's-her-name's dog parked itself on the back patio, because well, what's-her-name was sitting out there. And when Jasmine caught sight of them, she started whining. So I let her outside. But then she started barking, so I let her back in. Then she sat at the door, whining, and that is where she stayed for a while. Occasionally she found me around the house, and she'd sit down right in front of me and whine.

Whatever.

The point is, I was going to throw her out the window if she didn't shut up soon.

I was sitting on my bed, working on homework when two sets of footsteps echoed down the hallway. They stopped across the hall from my door, which was open only slightly, but enough for me to catch pieces of the conversation.

"…have to tell her…"

"…hate us…"

"…going to do?"

"I don't know."

And then Jasmine barked. I jumped, cursed, and hopped off my bed to go to the window and see what the big deal was. Across the hall, their bedroom door opened and closed quietly. I sighed.

What's-her-name's dog, which was a tiny little thing, was perched at the edge of the porch behind the railing, head cocked to the side and staring straight at my window. Little shit was instigating Jasmine.

I huffed and shoved Jasmine out the door, glancing at the closed door across the hall, watching someone's feet pace back and forth before I shut my own door. I shuffled back to my bed and flopped down on it, trying to immerse myself in the reading I needed to get done.

But I just couldn't get their words out of my head.

!#$#!

I came to the conclusion that Shakespeare sucks.

At least, he does when you're not _focused _on him, but I was too busy trying to figure out what _she _could hate them for. They had to have been talking about me, right? Right.

At least, I was pretty sure they were talking about me.

Honestly though, why would I hate Edward and Bella? I mean, every teenager 'hates' their parents at some point in their life, but they sounded genuinely convinced that I would hate them.

Which was ridiculous, really. Because I wouldn't. Hate them, that is. Or would I? I don't know. What the hell were they talking about anyway?

With a huff, I jumped off my bed and made my way downstairs where Edward and Bella were making dinner. I paused at the threshold of the kitchen, listening to their conversation.

"How long do you plan on waiting, Bella? We have to tell her eventually," Edward sighed.

"I don't know, Edward, I screwed everything up last time, she's going to hate me," Bella murmured.

"She's not going to _hate _you," he insisted, and Bella sighed, "She may be resentful for a while, and maybe it'll seem like she hates us, but I don't think she will."

His walked a few steps away from her and muttered, "At least, I hope she won't."

I leaned around the corner to get a better look at them, but the floor creaked, and I froze, just as they did, before they continued on as though they weren't just talking about me. Bella was stirring the spaghetti sauce on the stove and Edward was chopping vegetables for a salad when I walked in.

I hopped up onto the counter next to Edward, plucking a tortellini from the colander and popping it in my mouth. The kitchen was silent, save for the sound of Edward's chopping. I hummed quietly, kicking my legs back and forth. The silence was driving me crazy.

"So," I cleared my throat, glancing up at Bella and then Edward before dropping my eyes to my knees, "what were you two discussing earlier?"

I watched them from under my lashes, the way they glanced at each other quickly before returning their eyes to their separate tasks.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Edward feigned innocence, focusing intently on the task at hand, which was pulling salad dressing from the fridge and setting them on the table. Immense concentration needed, clearly.

"Well, you two were talking earlier, and you said something about someone - she - hating you. I was just wondering what it was you were talking about." _Or who,_ I added mentally. Something was definitely up. My parents were big on the whole 'no secrets in the house' thing, so it was something big they were hiding from me.

"Honey, we-"

"Are going to tell you later," Bella smiled, squeezing Edward's bicep quickly as she bypassed him to set the dish of pasta sauce on the table.

I narrowed my eyes at them, not fully believing that they would actually tell me later, but letting it go.

"Ness, could you do us a favor and grab Peyton from her crib? If she's still napping, go ahead and wake her."

I grunted in response and snagged a baby carrot from Edward's cutting board as I jumped off the counter. I walked slowly and quietly up the stairs, but it wasn't until I reached the top that they began talking again. I rolled my eyes at myself and gently pushed Peyton's door open.

She was sitting up in bed, poking at the eyes of her stuffed lamb. Her sleepy eyes flickered towards me, and she dropped the lamb in exchange for her blanket, quickly getting to her feet and reaching for me. Her mouth sucked lazily at a pacifier.

I picked her up slowly, snuggling her warm body close to my chest. I would never tell anyone this, but after she woke up from naps, Peyton was easily my favorite person to be around - second only to Jacob. She was quiet and cuddly, and so so warm.

"Let's find you a new shirt," I murmured into her hair as I settled her on my hip. Peyton had a tendency to wake up sans shirt. We weren't quite sure when she took them off, and it didn't happen all the time, but when it did happen, it was almost impossible to find the shirt.

I gave her two choices for shirts, and she decided on a pink shirt with a light pink anchor on it. After dressing her and giving a quick diaper change, we bounced down the stairs. She giggled the whole way down, though she held a fistful of my shirt tightly.

The kitchen went quiet as I entered, and I just barely held my tongue. I placed Peyton in her highchair and retrieved her juice cup from the fridge before I took my seat at the table.

Dinners at our house weren't normally loud affairs, unless, of course, the whole family was present. But this dinner was exceptionally quiet. Even Peyton was silent as she ate.

I cleared my throat, shifting slightly in my seat. I didn't like the uneasy glances Edward and Bella were throwing at each other. I only pushed my food around my plate, my stomach tied in knots.

"You should eat something, Ness," Edward nudged me with his elbow while taking a sip of water.

I gave him a fake smile and stuffed a forkful of salad in my mouth. He sighed, his eyes flickering to Bella once again, who was busy putting more food on Peyton's tray.

"Bella?" he questioned. Her shoulders tensed and she dropped her gaze to her plate, fidgeting with the napkin in her lap.

"Do you want to tell her, or should I?" Edward probed.

She rested her forehead in the palm of her hand. She ran it quickly down her face before she looked up at me, her eyes shining with tears. My back stiffened.

She looked to Edward one more time before she spoke. "I'm pregnant."

Shock. Disbelief. Betrayal. I couldn't believe it. I looked sharply at Edward, but he wasn't looking at me, only at his hands folded in his lap. They were serious.

I dropped my silverware on my plate, satisfied that it made them all jump. I shoved away from the table and calmly made my way to my bedroom, where I slammed the door. Jasmine curiously cocked her head as I walked past her to my bathroom, slamming that door as well, before I sank to the floor, tears running like razorblades down my cheeks.

!#$#!

I stayed in my bathroom long enough to hear Edward and Bella put Peyton to sleep. They knocked on my bedroom door, and they even called my name, but I refused to open the door, because I had nothing to say to them. They eventually left, closing the door to their bedroom softly behind them.

I washed my face and finally opened the bathroom door. The sun was setting, the water ablaze with oranges and reds, the sky painted pink. I opened my window to let the briny breeze in. I remembered once telling Jacob how I'd wished to be the water, and just roll away.

Thinking about him, I grabbed my phone from my bed and climbed out my window, settling on the branches reaching towards my house. I had several missed calls from him, and many texts. I was sure he was worried about me, but I didn't have the energy to talk to him and explain all that had happened.

And then, from the corner of my eye, I watched what's-her-name climb out her open window and down the lattice. She was no rookie at sneaking out, that was for sure. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, head down, and made her way towards the sidewalk.

She paused though, and turned to look at me, like she knew I'd been there the whole time. She jerked her head in the direction she was headed, an invitation for me to join . I sucked my lip into my mouth and held up my index finger, indicating for her to give me a minute to get ready.

I climbed quickly back inside, grabbed a zip-up hoodie, a pair of shoes and let Jasmine out of my bedroom before I was back outside and scaling down the tree. She met me halfway, her face friendly, though I was hesitant.

She didn't talk, didn't offer me any clues about where we were going, and I think I was okay with that. At least, I was for a while.

"Where are we going?"

"Do you know Todd Matthews? He invited me to his house for a party tonight," she said this all in one breath, not looking at me.

"You know Todd? You've been here for what, a month? And already you've made friends with Todd?"

She paused, and I spun to face her. "We moved around a lot. In Texas, I mean. I learned that you either make friends quickly, or you don' make any at all."

I nodded in understanding. "Do you mind if I invite Jacob?"

She shrugged, so I took it upon myself to call him.

"_Ness?_"

I cringed. He was definitely worried. "Hey Jacob, um, I was wondering if you wanted to go to a party tonight? Todd's place?"

He was silent. He let out a long, slow breath. "_Sure, yeah. Are you at home? I'll come pick you up."_

"Actually, me and uh…" I trailed off, not wanting to ask her what her name was, because that seemed rude. But I _forgot _what it was.

"Gabrielle," she interjected, and I gave her an apologetic smile.

"Me and Gabrielle are walking there now. Do you just want to meet us up there?"

"_Alright, I'll see you soon."_

"Okay, Jacob. Love you."

"_Love you, too. And Ness?"_ he paused, and I held my breath.

"Yeah?"

"_You have some serious explaining to do." _And then the line went dead.

!#$#!

Gabrielle and I walked mostly in silence. We asked each other occasional questions, but nothing really serious. Todd's party was in full swing when we got there, Jacob leaning against his truck, talking to Kevin, one of his best friends, and also a teammate.

"Hey, Ness?" Gabrielle grabbed my elbow, bringing me to a stop next to her.

"What's up?"

"Are you and Jacob, you know, serious?"

I laughed. Loudly. "Jacob and I have been dating for almost three years now. Yeah, I'd say we're pretty serious."

She frowned, but glanced at Kevin, who was totally oblivious, and she smiled again. "Alright, I'll back off."

I smirked. "Has anyone ever told you you're sort of a bitch?"

She cocked her head to the side, sizing me up, and then smiled. "Has anyone ever told you you're very blunt?"

We shared a moment of understanding before meeting up with Jacob and Kevin.

"Well, well, well, look who it is! I don't see you anymore, Ness. Are you avoiding me? And who is this lovely young lady you've brought with you?" Kevin winked at Gabrielle, and I'm convinced that that was the point of no return for the night. Gabrielle definitely had hungry eyes.

We didn't talk for much longer, but I told Jacob about what had happened earlier, and he was worried, but I told him not to be. Kevin and Gabrielle disappeared inside, and it seemed like they were having a pretty good time. The music was good, the drinks kept coming, and Jacob was holding me tight. After the third drink, though, I couldn't remember much else about the night.

!#$#!

**Edward's POV**

The phone rang sometime close to midnight. I told Bella to go back to sleep, and I grabbed the cordless by our bed, stumbling into the hallway to answer it.

"'Lo?"

"_Edward, is everything all right?" _Jasper's ever-calm voice reached my ears, and fear spread like ice through my veins.

"What do you mean?" I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, stumbling downstairs.

"_I just got a call from Ness. I couldn't understand what she was saying, there was too much noise in the background, and there was another girl with her. She kept saying that everything was going to be all right, and then Ness, she was crying. Like I've never heard before. Jacob's voice came through, and then she hung up."_

I rubbed at the ache in my chest. "We told her tonight, Jasper. She knows. And we checked on her before we went to bed, but she wouldn't open the door."

"_Edward, you need to go upstairs and check on her. Right now. Remember to stay calm, no matter what the situation is," _Jasper's voice forced my legs to work, though they felt like lead as I dragged myself upstairs.

I knocked softly on her door. No answer. "Ness?" Still nothing. "Sweetheart, please open the door." I listened for any sort of movement inside, but there was only absolute silence.

"She's not answering her door," I whispered to Jasper. God, I felt like the worst parent on the planet.

"_Do you have a key, Edward? This is serious. We don't know the situation," _he reminded me gently. I shuffled back to our bedroom, opening my bedside drawer to pull out the key to her room.

"_Ed?" _Jasper's voice was quiet, but I couldn't answer him. Fear was twisting in my gut, racing through my veins. My heart was ready to burst free of my chest.

"_Edward Anthony Cullen, you listen to me," _Alice came on the phone, her voice making me focus on the task at hand. With shaking fingers, I inserted the key into the lock, twisting slowly. The door fell open silently, moonlight casting shadows across the bed where she should be. Her window was open, the soft breeze twisting the curtains around themselves.

"She's not here," I murmured into the receiver. I walked into her room slowly, taking note of all the things still here. All she'd taken were the shoes in front of her closet and the jacket that was slung over her desk chair. She wasn't gone for good. She was coming back.

"_Do you have any idea where she might be?" _Jasper was back, I could hear his car start quietly, the garage door opening.

"If she's with Jacob and another girl…maybe they're at a party? She was upset, Jazz," I tried to focus my mind, but my thoughts were running a mile minute. I couldn't focus on anything.

"_If she's upset, and at a party, she's probably drinking. She didn't drive, did she?"_

I shook my head before I remembered he couldn't see me. "No, no her car's still here. Jacob probably drove. Or she walked."

"What's going on?" Bella's voice startled me. Her eyes took in Nessie's empty room and my blank expression. Her lip quivered and I pulled her in for a hug.

"She's coming back, Bella. She's with Jacob," I promised her this, because I could feel it. I knew.

"_I'll check a few blocks close to you, see if any parties are-"_

"Hold on, Jazz."

Someone was at the back door. I could hear hushed laughter, and someone trying to get their key into the lock. A muffled "shit" could be heard as the keys dropped to the concrete outside.

I reached forward and unlocked the door, swiftly pulling it open. Ness was between Jacob and a girl, they were both holding her up.

"Jazz, I'm gonna have to call you back," I spoke evenly into the receiver.

He breathed a sigh of relief. _"You found her?"_

"She found me." I hung up, setting the phone aside as Jacob worked to swing Ness into his arms.

He gave me a timid grin. "Hey, Mr. Cullen."

The girl spoke up, an accent marring her words. "G'night Jacob. Mr. Cullen."

"Let me just start off by telling you that I tried really, really hard to stop this from happening."

!#$#!

I couldn't say that I was mad at Jacob or Ness. Or Gabrielle, who I learned was the girl with them. Our new neighbor. This was what teenagers were supposed to do. I sure as hell remember doing this to my parents quite often. Emmett was definitely worse than I was, though.

It wasn't Ness' first time drinking, but she'd never been anything more than tipsy. But this time, she was absolutely, well, shitfaced.

I tied her hair up in a ponytail, and currently, she was busy hugging the porcelain throne. I poured her another glass of water, kneeling on the floor next to her.

"Drink," I told her softly. Her eyelids fluttered and she whimpered.

"Don't want to," she rasped.

"It'll make you feel better, Ness, I promise."

She laughed bitterly. "What do you know about promises? You promised nothing would change when you got pregnant with Peyton. You know what? Everything changed. Bella couldn't even be in the same room as me, and you overcompensated. You don't know anything about promises."

I was stunned silent by her words. She took the water from my hand, taking small sips. "What was the point? What did you need me for, if you were just going to have more babies? I don't understand."

"Ness, you couldn't stay where you were," I reminded her.

She scoffed. "I hadn't planned on it, obviously. I left, didn't I? I guess I'm just not enough for anybody."

"Stop it," I snapped. Her eyes locked on mine. "You are everything Bella and I ever wanted. Having a baby doesn't change that. Nessie, you gave us everything. And I know it seems like things changed when Peyton was born, but you have to understand how much you mean to us. Nothing and no one could ever replace you. Honey, if we lost you…"

The words died in my throat, fearful to think about how close I'd been to losing her, so many times. I watched her eyes flood with tears and course down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," her words broke on a sob, and she was in my arms, and God, I was sorry, too.

"I'll be b-better, I-I-I swear."

"Hush, Renesmee. We're gonna be okay, honey. Everything's going to be okay."

That was a promise that I'd give my life to keep.

!#$#!

**Jacob's POV**

I walked in silence to my truck, worry twisting my insides, marring my thoughts. Edward hadn't seemed mad, but I'd never seen Ness like that before. And I guess I understood where she was coming from. They were having another baby, and with everything that had happened with Peyton… I understood.

But, God, I hadn't wanted tonight to be like that. I tried so hard to stop her, but Ness had a way of getting what she wants. Even if it's self-destruction. Every time I turned my head, it seemed, she had another drink.

And Gabrielle? That girl wasn't the sweet-as-pie girl everybody seemed to believe she was. She could party pretty hard. And if her and Ness were going to be friends, I guess I had my work cut out for me.

It wasn't that she wasn't a nice girl, because she was. But she had a way with guys. She had assured Ness - and I wasn't supposed to hear this, but I did - that she hadn't gone 'all the way' with anyone before, but she had no problem doing other things. Kevin was particularly pleased with her.

"Jacob?" She walked out from the shadows, her hood up and her hands stuffed in her pockets. "Ness is gon' be alright, ain't she?"

I blew out a breath as I watched the moon disappear behind the clouds. "Yeah, I think she's gonna be just fine."

She gave a small smile as she backed away. "I'm glad."

I nodded, opening the door of my truck and starting it with a quick twist of my wrist. All I did on the way home was pray that I hadn't just lied to the girl.

* * *

A/N: Hi! All of you lovely, beautiful people. I love you all. I think two chapters left, and an epilogue. Yeah. And maybe a few outtakes along the way. It's been fun, and all of you, yes you, have made it totally worth it. But I'm not done yet, so don't fret.

And Megan? Hi, Megan. Wings would have died long ago if it weren't for you. Cookies for you, Megan. The good kind.

Love xx  
Kelly


	15. Chapter 14

**| Warning: Minor slash below. & lemony goodness. |**

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 14 - No Kontrol

**Renesmee's POV**

It always started this way. Every other Thursday, from four to five.

He just watched me.

Well, I shouldn't say he _watched _me. He was observing. I think.

I mean, that was his job. To observe. Me. And my actions. Words, too. But the talking would come later. For now, he just watched.

Watched the way I shifted in my seat. The way I ran my hands over my knees. How I looked anywhere but at him. He once compared me to a skittish animal. I couldn't tell him he was wrong.

Then he smiled, and I relaxed.

"So Renesmee, how have you been?" his notepad was poised in his lap, hands folded over top, pen resting beneath.

I bobbed my head quickly, fingers tapping wooden chairs. "Good, good. I've been good. Same."

He barely restrained a smirk. "That's good."

"Yep." I nodded in agreement, looking over his shoulder. He noticed, of course, scribbling words on his notepad before he looked back at me.

Dr. Tanak was a friend of Jasper's. A colleague, actually. Jasper had suggested him to me after he'd decided that he couldn't separate himself from the situation anymore. I didn't blame him. Tanak was an okay guy. Extremely perceptive, but that didn't bother me much anymore. It was almost nice, in an odd sort of way. He knew every quirk of mine, and I'd never even had to tell him.

"So you'll be able to go back to dance soon, correct?" he looked down his nose at me. Watching. Always watching.

I bit my lip, barely hiding my grimace. "I'm not sure I want to go back."

His eyes narrowed infinitesimally, head cocked to the side. "Why's that?"

"I just…I don't think my heart's in it anymore. I mean, I love it, but it was always _our _thing and now she's not here, and I just…I don't think I can do it."

"So are you going to give up on everything?" he wondered.

I tsked. "No, of course not."

"Why dance?" Fucker always knew how to get me.

I shrugged and stood up, crossing my arms over my chest as I walked to the back wall. It was covered in abstract paintings with rich colors and patterns that flowed. His office wasn't the typical shrink office. It was warm, almost. He made it seem open and inviting. You couldn't help spilling your guts while you were there.

"How have you really been, Renesmee? Your parents-" I gave him _the look_, and he amended, "Edward and Bella told me the news." He took his glasses off and set them on the small table next to him.

I sighed. "I don't know."

"Yes you do," he insisted.

I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth. I had nothing to say to him.

"Don't get angry, Renesmee, tell me how you've been. You're hiding behind your anger," he chastised me gently.

"I've _been _angry," I spat. I curled my hands into fists, nails biting into flesh. "I-I feel betrayed. I feel like they betrayed me, and it makes me angry. And it's stupid."

"Feeling betrayed isn't stupid. It's perfectly normal. Is that how you felt when Julia said she didn't want to be friends?"

I spun on him. "What Julia did has no relevance to how I feel now. It's done, it happened, okay? She gave up on me, and I don't fucking _blame _her for doing it, because _I'm difficult._ What she did hurt me. Yes, I felt like she betrayed me. She broke promises. And you shouldn't make promises if you're not going to keep them."

He nodded, as though he understood me. "Is that how you felt when you knew there was going to be a new baby?"

"I felt like they were replacing me," I whispered. I turned my back on him, tracing the flowing blue in a painting with the tip of my finger. "I didn't understand why they had me if they could just have one of their own."

"You know that no one could ever replace you, don't you? Who you are is unique to the rest of the world. There is not another you out there, and Edward and Bella love you, as crazy as that may seem to you. Their having a baby doesn't lessen how much they love you, and it certainly doesn't change how they love you. Because you are you. Nothing and no one can change that."

I nodded, slowly returning to my seat. Seeing Tanak always made me feel completely drained. He smiled softly. "How's Jacob?"

Blood rushed to my cheeks, a small smile pulling at my lips. "Jacob's good. He's been very helpful."

"And Gabrielle?" he wondered.

I shrugged and looked to the ground. "I'm trying."

"Sometimes trying is the best thing you can do."

!#$#!

"I don't understand how y'all can listen to this…noise," Gabs stuffed a handful of popcorn in her mouth and chewed obnoxiously, pointedly looking at the stereo.

"It's not _noise,_" I grumbled. I got up to change the station, anyway. "Not every song needs to be about getting drunk, or partying, or whatever the hell else happens in country songs that makes them so cliché."

She rolled her eyes. "Country music is about love. It's about the simple things in life, and family. Love, Ness, looooove."

She puckered her lips and moved closer to me. I threw a fistful of popcorn at her face, laughing when she opened her mouth to catch a piece, and missed it. She popped one eye open and gave me her serious face. "You're cleanin' that up."

"Speakin' of love," she added, fluttering her lashes. "How's the wonderful Jacob?"

"Jacob is amazing, thank you for asking."

"Girl, come on. He has to be…mph. My God, I can only imagine what he's like in bed," she fanned her face dramatically.

I snorted. "Why do you need my stories? Don't you have your own?"

She held up a peace sign. "Honey, my V-card is still intact. I don't have the same stories that you do. Although, I could tell you some that would keep you awake at night."

"Because they're so terrible?" I joked. "Wait a second, if you're a virgin, why do you have any stories at all?"

"Pfft, being a virgin don't mean I can't do other things. And I do. Other things." She chewed her lip as she looked me over.

"What?" I took a sip of Pepsi, watching her watch me.

"Aren't you worried about gettin' pregnant? I mean, I'm sure you use condoms and whatever, but don't it worry you at all?"

I shrugged. "Jacob and I are very safe. And if we did get pregnant, I don't think it would be a huge deal. We're in life together, so whatever happens; we'd be in it together. Gabs, why don't you just have sex already?"

She smiled. "There ain't nothing sex can give me that I can't give myself, or get from a guy's fingers." She held up her index and middle fingers in explanation and I felt my face get hot.

"Gabrielle! That's just…no. It's totally different, trust me." I wiggled my two fingers. "This? This is nothing compared to sex."

She looked contemplative for a moment. "Hmm. Well, in any case. I haven't found the right guy yet. And I always told myself I would wait until I got married before I did the dirty." She nodded decidedly and jumped off the couch.

I flopped sideways, my head resting where she had been sitting. "Where are you goooing?"

"Quit bein' a baby, I'm comin' right back. Damn, you're 'bout as obnoxious as Tigger." Tigger was her little Yorkshire terrier. He didn't look a thing like Tigger, so I have no idea where she got the name, and I really didn't want to know. I hated him, and he hated me.

Gabs turned the corner with a hairbrush, a hand mirror, a handful of hair ties and clips, and hairspray. She dropped it all in my lap with a smile and plopped down on the floor in front or me.

"Braid, missy," she instructed me. She pulled a magazine out from under the couch and began to flip through the pages of _Seventeen _as I set to work braiding her hair.

"You know I have no idea what you want, right?"

She shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. "Neither do I. I just want braids."

This was the first time I'd truly hung out with Gabrielle. It was hard for me to be back in this house after what had happened with Cam, but I was slowly letting him go. Gabs was a very fun person. There was never a dull moment when you were with her. She liked to keep you on your toes, and sometimes the things she did made you question what you thought you knew.

But she was a good friend, that much I could tell. And I was definitely trying.

!#$#!

"You've never gotten _high_?" her mouth gaped in disbelief. She was honestly shocked that I'd never smoked before.

I shrugged. "I did on my birthday, but it was only a contact high. I didn't actually smoke."

She shoved me a little. "How the hell have you never smoked weed? Oh, my God. We have to!"

I shook my head, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I don't want to. That's why I've never done it."

"You'll have sex, but you won't get high." She shook her head as though it were a tragedy.

I quirked a brow. "You'll get high, but you won't have sex."

She smirked. "Touché."

We settled on the couch, Gabs flipping through the movie channels on cable. I was throwing Goldfish crackers in the air and attempting to catch them in my mouth. I was failing miserably.

Gabs finally picked a move - _Amityville Horror, _the one with Ryan Reynolds _- _and turned to me. She licked her lips and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Are you gonna get mad at me if I try somethin'?" she wondered, twisting her fingers together nervously.

My stomach flip-flopped, but I shook my head. "No."

She licked her lips again, blowing out a breath. She bit her bottom lip as she tucked another strand of hair behind my ears. I stuttered out a breath, butterflies assaulting my ribcage.

She smiled as she cupped my cheek in her palm. She moved slowly towards me, and before I could breathe, her lips were on mine. Her other hand cupped the back of my neck, and our lips opened at the same time that my eyes slipped shut.

Kissing Gabrielle was much different from any kiss I'd ever had before. Her lips were soft, and she was gentle. There was no roughness to be found anywhere, and I couldn't tell if I liked that or not.

We separated with a final peck, though my eyes stayed shut as our foreheads stayed close together. She pulled away with an exhaled breath, and I opened my eyes to watch her stand up.

She jerked her head in the direction of the stairs. "Wanna go smoke?"

I bit my lip. "Um, I don't know."

She rolled her eyes. "You'll do _that_ but you won't smoke with me?"

"I'm sort of afraid of what will happen _after _we smoke," I grumbled as I stood up.

She linked our arms together. "That's the fun part."

!#$#!

Being high was a very strange experience. Everything just sort of…was. It felt as though nothing could bother me. I felt…floaty. Is that even a word? Well, it is now.

Gabs and I were just sitting on her bedroom floor. We watched the curtains dance in the wind. We listened to the music, felt it vibrate the floor beneath us.

"Dance with me," she demanded. I hadn't noticed her stand up, but she was spinning circles in front of me. She offered me a hand, but I didn't take it quick enough, so she rescinded her offer and continued spinning. Watching her made me dizzy, and I nearly fell before I was even standing. The ridiculousness of it all made me laugh.

Gab shushed me as she took my hand. She pulled me in close, and we danced in slow circles. The colors blurred and ran together. My insides felt the same. Floaty, but spinny.

We collapsed on the bed, breaths heavy and limbs intertwined. Our lips met lazily, mouths opening slowly, tongues brushing languidly. My hand tangled in her curly locks, the other trailing to her backside to grab her ass. Her hands rested on my hips, fingers dancing up and pushing my shirt up in the process. With a gentle tug on the hem of my shirt, I let her lift it over my head.

Our eyes met, an endless stream of questions racing between us. But she smiled at me, and for once, I didn't over think it. I did feel bad for doing this to Jacob, but I knew that he would be okay. Whatever was happening between Gabs and I was nothing more than an exploration of our own sexuality. It meant nothing to both us.

_Sail _by AWOLNATION permeated our heavy breaths, the sounds of panting and hungry lips. Gabs settled on top of me, knee between my thighs, applying no pleasure, but teasing me all the same. Her fingers traced scars, questions on her fingertips, dancing in her eyes. I said nothing, and she seemed to understand.

Her shirt was next to go, and curiously, I ran a hand down her stomach, popping the button of her jeans. She smirked at me as she sucked at the skin of my collarbone. My heart lurched in my chest as her hands moved to the waistband of my yoga pants. Her fingers tickled the skin there, before she dipped them below, fingers touching, exploring. A breathy sound escaped me.

I shoved at the waistband of her jeans, and she moved the hand tangled in my hair to help me push them down. I was entranced by her body, all soft lines and tan skin. It was so different from Jacob, hard lines, muscles, russet skin. It wasn't that I didn't like what was happening, because I did. But everything was so different.

All I wanted in that moment was the feeling of being connected to a person. I didn't crave the sexual satisfaction, the high that came with it. I just wanted to _be_ with her. Just to feel that we were one, the feeling of…of…everything. I wanted her to _accept _me, all of me. The urge was so strong, it brought tears to my eyes. She kissed the corners of my eyes, fingers wiping the salty tears from my face.

"Please," I whimpered softly, our eyes connected, our souls bared to one another. It never felt this way with Jacob. This connection was always there, we were always so in tune with one another, he just _knew _what I wanted without ever having to say so. But with Gabs, everything was new.

Our underwear stayed on, but our fingers slinked underneath. There were no barriers, nothing was off limits. She sucked at the skin that spilled out over top of my bra. I sucked at her neck. Her knee moved against me, drawing soft sounds and agonized whimpers from me. The friction was delicious, but she was teasing; I needed _more. _

She was the first to fall over the edge, rocking endlessly into my fingers and palm, body jolting erratically with the intensity. Her mouth was open in a silent scream, back arched, and eyes closed. I didn't know if I'd ever seen something so…amazing. She fell on top of me, fingers moving to mimic the actions I had done to her. I arched into her hand, desperate to feel her hands on me. We said nothing, and felt everything.

We kissed hungrily as she pulled me closer to the edge. Fingers twisting, seeking, finding. There…right there. I grabbed her shoulders, nails biting into skin as she worked her fingers faster. My breath caught in my throat as I felt that familiar warmth in the pit of my stomach, that imaginary spring coiling impossibly tight. I whimpered, and opened my mouth to do something, _anything. _

The fall was nothing like I'd experienced before. There was a new intensity that made it near impossible to wrap my head around. A scream stuck in my throat, her hand clamped over my mouth, and her lips at my ear, whispering, "Shh, Daddy will hear." Hips bucking relentlessly as her fingers slowed and then stopped, my breath was erratic as our eyes met. She smiled and kissed me softly.

We climbed under the blankets, holding one another as we came down from both highs.

"Thank you," she whispered into my neck.

I closed my eyes and held her tighter, not ready for this moment to end.

!#$#!

Gabs and I shared a bath, no touching, just staring and soft words. When it was over, I dressed again and said goodbye, hugging her tightly as we stood at the front door.

I kept replaying the words she had said. _Daddy will hear you. _All I could think about was that my father, my biological father, would never hear me. Perhaps he never had. My father would never see me marry, never walk me down the aisle. He would not get to see me grow with a child, or hold his grandchild in his arms. Maybe he never wanted those things, but he'd never given me a choice if I'd wanted it or not.

I spent so much time being angry at him, resenting all that he had done to me. But maybe I should thank him, because he gave me something greater than the gift of life. He gave me a second chance. With a new family, that I was always angry at. I told them that I should be their only one, but how was that fair? They wanted to have what my father so easily gave away, and I couldn't hate them for that. Because I wanted exactly the same.

My feet carried me closer to Jacob's house, though I stopped at the graveyard the street over from his. The gates were black, wrought iron, a prayer engraved on a plaque on the left. I walked inside carefully, feeling out of place. The day was sunny and bright, nothing at all like the day he'd been buried. I hadn't been there, but Jasper had. He said that the service had been short, only a handful of people there.

At the time, I'd hated him. Hated what he'd done to me, and hated the things he let other people do to me. He should have protected me, he should have been better. But he wasn't. I kneeled at his grave, fingers pulling at weeds sprouting up around it. He wasn't visited often, that much was obvious. But I couldn't help the pang of guilt that resonated through me at the thought.

I plucked a flower from the vase of the grave next to him, laying it gently over his name.

He had never meant to hurt me. I realized that now. His shortcomings as a father were a result of too much liquor, and not enough caring. But I realized that he'd given me so much to learn from. Love and pain are one in the same, one simply cannot exist without the other. I couldn't hate him. I could only thank him for giving me what he had.

As I stood to leave, the wind tangled my hair gently, as though he were there with me in that moment. I looked at my past for the last time, and though my words were carried away in the soft sweep of air, I whispered, "I forgive you."

!#$#!

That evening, Jacob and I curled up next to one another, a movie playing on TV, but neither one of us paying attention. His hand stroked my hair, the other tangled with mine. My eyes felt heavy, my body light with revelations and forgiveness, my mind tired.

I hummed out a breath, feeling like I needed to tell him what had happened with Gabs earlier. "Jacob," my voice was just a whisper.

"Hmm?"

"Gabs and I did something today." It surprised me that I wasn't at all concerned about his reaction. He suspected nothing, and it almost made me feel guilty. Had I cheated on him? Technically, I guess I had.

"That's nice," he didn't understand. Of course not. Why would he think that I'd ever do something like what I'd done earlier?

Sitting up, I turned to face him. His eyes were curious, but they held no accusations. His trust for me was so complete; I only hoped that I didn't break him. Slowly, I pulled my shirt down. His eyes flickered over my shoulder, towards the door, before they settled on me again. At the top of my breast, a soft bruise formed. Gabs had marked me, just as I'd marked her.

He furrowed his brow, confusion sweeping over his features. "I don't understand."

"Gabs did this. Jacob, her and I…we…well I guess we sort of slept together?" The explanation was more of a question. I was unable to put into words what had happened earlier. I didn't know how, exactly, to explain it.

His face was carefully blank. "You two…slept together."

I nodded, holding up my pointer and middle fingers together, wiggling them. I hoped he would understand. He closed his eyes, blowing out a harsh breath.

When he opened them, I could see that he understood. "You fingered each other."

I bit my lip, blood rushing to my face. I nodded, feeling exposed, and raw. He didn't sound angry, but Jacob had always been so good at hiding his emotions. With a groan, he dropped his head against the headboard. He muttered something under his breath, too low for me to hear, before he surprised me by flipping me on my back, hovering over me.

His lips were at my ear, voice raspy. "You fingered each other…and you didn't let me _watch?"_

I squirmed beneath him, hands on the bare skin of my hips, deliciously warm. His lips found the skin Gabs had earlier, bringing back the sensations she had created, more intense than before. I moaned softly, twisting my fingers through his hair. He dragged his tongue up to my collarbone, stopping to softly suck the skin there before his lips left my body. Unconsciously, our hips had been rocking against one another, our breaths heavy.

"Next time…I want to be there."

"N-next time?" his reaction was not at all the one I had been expecting.

"Ness, you and Gabs are both attractive, and two attractive girls, in bed…together? Can you blame me?" He gave me his Jacob-grin, and I think I melted a little. "Sweetheart, I can see that you were worried. But answer me this, are you gay?"

I shook my head vehemently, words unable to form. "Okay, but did you enjoy yourself?"

I sucked my lip into my mouth, nodding hesitantly. "Ness, exploring your sexuality is nothing to be embarrassed about. I'd rather you do it now, then find out later that you're not happy with what I have to give you. Would you be upset if I decided that I wanted to go try something with a guy?"

The image flitted through my mind, stirring something in the pit of my stomach. "No," I whispered, cupping his cheek in my palm.

"I don't mind that you want to try new things, but next time just let me know first, okay?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry, it was just sort of spur of the moment. We kissed, and then we went upstairs and we smoked. The next thing I knew, our clothes were off and we were touching, and it was…nice."

He hummed against my neck, placing a soft kiss there. "Did she at least get you off?"

With a smirk, I cupped the bulge in his jeans. "Of course she did."

His eyes looked contemplative. "Well, that I might have a problem with." He was teasing, but he looked entirely serious.

"Why's that?" I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth, biting gently before I released it.

"Because that image is for my eyes only," his lips found my ear again, fingers finding that secret place only Jacob knew, "Because no one can make you scream like I do."

My breath hitched in my throat, heat flooding me. "I don't know, Jacob, she was pretty close," I was taunting him, reaching into his boxer briefs to feel him so impossibly hard for me.

"Oh, Nessie. You really shouldn't have said that." He descended on me with a salacious smirk.

He spent the rest of the night proving how incredibly wrong I was. I'd never been a screamer, but with Jacob, well…anything was possible.

* * *

A/N: Ahem. Yeah. That was interesting, wasn't it? I scare myself sometimes. There is one chapter remaining, and an epi. Sadface. Reviews are lovely, like you (:

Mwah!  
Love you all,  
Kelly

Music: No Kontrol by I Fight Dragons  
Sail by AWOLNATION


	16. Chapter 15

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Chapter 15 - Sunday Morning

**Renesmee's POV**

Jacob's fingers swirled lazily around my knee, pinky poking under the hem of my floral dress. The smirk on his face was wicked as I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He'd been teasing me relentlessly since service had started almost a half an hour ago.

It had been my idea to go to church, but he had had no problem agreeing to it. And now he couldn't keep his hands to himself…in church. I didn't understand why he couldn't be more like Edward and just hold my hand or something. It might have something to do with the fact that Bella was a crazy pregnant lady, but that's beside the point.

When they'd heard Jacob and I discussing going to church, they'd been a little sheepish because they had never taken me. We did the usual, of course, going to church for Easter mass and Christmas mass, and we said we were Catholic, but we weren't really practicing Catholics. Jacob was a little more involved in the church than I was, because he and his dad still went on Sundays, something that his mom had started before she had passed.

But in any case, Edward and Bella had decided that they'd like to go with us. So we were all sitting in the stiff wooden pews, staring attentively forward. Edward had one hand in Bella's in her lap, and the other wrapped around Peyton who was half asleep in his lap.

"Jacob Theodore Black, I'm here trying to save us, and all you're trying to do is corrupt me," I did my best to sound indignant, but the smile on his face was hard to beat.

He cast me a sideways glance before leaning down to whisper in my ear, "Sweetheart, I think the things we've done are a bit beyond being saved."

I batted my lashes seductively. "Can't blame a girl for trying."

He leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek, to which the elderly woman behind us cleared her throat at. Jacob winked at me and covered my knee with his hand. I rolled my eyes. It was going to be a long morning.

!#$#!

We filed out of the ornate wooden doors, a stampede of nicely dressed people running towards their cars for reprieve from the whipping wind. Edward was one of them, tie slapping him in the face as he ran, while the rest of us stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for him to bring the car around.

We were all meeting the family at this cute little diner not too far from the church for brunch. I had my heart set on chocolate chip pancakes and strawberries. We were quiet as we waited, my head resting on Jacob's arm, our fingers intertwined between us. Peyton chattered on, pointing to the sky, yelling at the wind. Bella murmured to her encouragingly; uninterested, yet indulgent.

The sun warmed my skin as I closed my eyes and looked to the sky. Jacob's gentle tugging of my arm pulled me from my thoughts and I followed him to Edward's car parked at the bottom of the steps.

We spent the ride listening to my iPod and talking about things that didn't matter. Jacob and I decided to withdrawal from the talent contest at school, because we had planned for Cam to play the music for us. But the ride to the diner was silent otherwise. Peyton was napping peacefully in her car seat, pink blanket and yellow duck tucked in beside her. She had even kicked her shoes off at some point.

Jacob was just starting to doze beside me when we pulled up to the diner. Most of the family was present, Rosalie and Emmett being the exception, as usual. They tried to blame being late on the twins, but they were late all the time, regardless of their children. I think Rosalie did it just to piss Alice off.

After everyone had been hugged, we made our way inside the diner, lingering just long enough to feel the first beginning raindrops.

In literature, rain is a symbol of purity. The rain always washes away the bad things that have happened and everyone walks away clean. I'd never really believed in rain holding such power. Especially because the rain here was usually that warm, humid, sticky rain that made you want to strip naked in the confines of your own home. But today, after the way things had been going, I believed it. If only for a little bit.

!#$#!

I sat in my bed, clad only in one of Jacob's hoodies and Soffe shorts. My hair was tied up, my glasses were on, there was a book in front of me, and I had peanut M&M's. Life really couldn't get much better.

The gentle rainstorm had turned into a thunderstorm that shook the walls. The power had gone out hours ago, and now the only light we had was the flicker of a candle's flame and flashlights.

Jacob had gone home after brunch with the family. We typically spent Sundays with our respective families because we were always joined at the hip. He said that he might be back later, but I wasn't worried. I told him I didn't want him driving in the wretched conditions, but the truth was, I just needed some time to be by myself.

Tears fell in silent silver streaks down my face. The book I was reading wasn't some novel off a bookshelf. It was the diary my mother had kept in the time before her life came to an end. The secrets she kept astounded me, so similar to the ones I carried with me.

She had loved my father, immensely so, and I'm sure there was a time that he loved her just as much. But the alcohol made him a person neither she nor I liked to see. And yet, she stayed. For me, she stayed. The thought both angered and humbled me.

"Hey Ness?" two quiet knocks resounded before my door was pushed open. I pushed the diary off my bed and swiped quickly at my tears.

Edward's face was apologetic, as though he knew exactly what I had been doing. "Should I come back later?"

I shook my head vigorously, pushing my glasses a little farther up my nose. "What's up?"

"Your mother and I have something we wanted to discuss with you," he murmured. There didn't seem to be any hidden agenda behind his words, but they still managed to set me on edge.

"Good or bad?" I hedged.

The corner of his lip quirked up in the typical half smile. "Good," he promised, "very good."

I followed him to the study and sat immediately on what I'd dubbed the 'quack couch.' It was the typical shrink couch, and it was the most comfortable piece of furniture in our home…other than my bed.

"What's up?" I inquired again. They sat opposite me in the love seat, hands clasped, secret smiles.

"Well," Bella began, nervously chewing her lip, "we wanted to talk baby names with you."

I furrowed my brow. "Me? I'm not the one poppin' out the kid."

"No," she agreed, a smile on her face, "but you deserve the chance to have a say in all of this. The baby is going to be a big part of your life."

I shrugged. Whatever floated there little boat. "Okay, well, do you have any ideas?"

There they go again with the lovesick smiles. _Gag me._ Bella's hand gently rested over her protruding stomach. "Well, for a girl we were thinking either Tempest or Kara. And for a boy we were thinking Declan or Jude."

I blinked. And again. The lights flickered and stayed on, but I was frozen to my seat. Were they serious with these names? Peyton could've picked better ones, and all she could say was 'Ma,' 'Da,' and lately, 'poo.'

"You want to name the kid…_Duckling_?" was my intelligent reply. And their faces automatically fell. _Sorry, _but geez. Declan?

"Just realize that if it happens to be a boy and you happen to name him Declan, I will call him duckling. Even until he has kids of his own, he will forever be duckling. Just a fair warning."

Bella sighed, and I thought she might cry. "I'm sorry, I am. I like Kara and Declan isn't that horrible. But…Tempest? Jude? Really guys?"

To my surprise, Bella started laughing. "You hate them, too? Oh, thank God!"

Now I was really confused. "…not all of them?"

They continued to laugh. I huffed and threw myself backwards on the couch. My parents were lunatics, that was the only explanation.

"Ness?" Bella finally calmed down enough to speak. "It's a boy."

I smiled despite the fact that they were just being complete assholes. "Really?"

"Really," Edward said, a giant smile taking over his face. "And we're going to name him Declan. Declan Robert."

"Robert after Grandpa Charlie?" I questioned, excited when they nodded in confirmation.

"I was serious, you know," they gave me questioning looks, and I smirked. "I will call him Duckling. Probably forever, because it's just too close."

Bella smirked. "We wouldn't want it any other way."

We chatted for a few more minutes before saying goodnight and making our way to bed. I was too wound up to sleep just yet, and I wasn't in the mood to read much anymore.

I walked to my window and pushed it open, inhaling the fresh scent of rain. Carefully, I climbed out, taking care to notice that the branches were wet, and that much harder to walk on. I sat on the branch, and my shorts were immediately soaked, though it didn't bother me much. There was a sort of fine mist that hung in the air, making it seem more humid than it really was.

I listened to the crashing of the waves behind me and the birds preening their feathers above me. The clouds moved lazily overhead, seemingly exhausted by the storm.

Gab's bedroom light was on, and I watched a shadow pass in front of her window before the light went out. I probably could text her and ask her to join me, but I wasn't really up to her company. I brought my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them.

For once, the thought of a new baby didn't anger or upset it. It didn't make me want to run screaming in the opposite direction. I embraced it, I was _excited _for him. Declan. I snorted. The name truly was ridiculous, and it would fit perfectly with the rest of us.

The thought of a new baby, however, did make my desire for my own stronger. I knew Jacob and I were much too young to have children, but it didn't stop me from wanting one.

The wind shifted, tangling strands of my hair. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, remembering times when Cam and I would sit in this tree and overlook our street, feeling fearless. God, I missed him so much it was hardly conceivable. He was going to be great, ruler of the world, as we believed we were when we were children.

So many memories with him. So many years spent together, so many firsts. My first best friend, my first kiss. The first boy to hold my hand, even if he was only doing it to make sure I didn't fall off his skateboard. He was the first person outside my family to see me cry, the day Destiny moved away. The first to know all my secrets, the first to see all of me.

When we were young, in our awkward years, I had a crush on him. And I stole kisses under the shade of this very tree, before I would turn and run in the opposite direction. It was puppy love that I eventually grew out of. But I would always love Cam. There was a special place in my heart for him that could be touched by no other, not even Jacob.

Just the thought of Jacob had me missing him, and I stood on shaky legs, making my way back into my bedroom. I collapsed face down on my bed, squeezing a pillow to my chest. I dialed his number by memory, and smiled when he picked up only after the second ring.

His voice was hushed, like the whisper of wind through the trees. Smooth like honey, and just as sweet. We talked of nothing, and we talked of everything. And it was clear in that moment that things weren't perfect, nor would they ever be.

But they were about as close as it gets.

* * *

A/N: So, this is the end. All that is left is the epi, which I might break up into two parts, and I will try to get those out much quicker. This is sorta surreal, but yeah. Okay. Thank you, Megan. This story would not still exist without you. And all of my readers, thank you for your endless support and understanding. Wings would not exist without any of you. Hopefully my other stories will be completed soon, if I can find the place in my heart where they once were. Reviews are love!

Songs: Sunday Morning by Maroon 5  
Some Nights by Fun.

Much love,  
Kelly


	17. Epilogue 1 of 2

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Epilogue 1/2

**December**

**Renesmee's POV**

Before I even had my key in the ignition, my phone was buzzing in my pocket. I dropped my head against the steering wheel as I fished it out. It was near midnight, and Edward kept calling because Bella had gone into labor. He called in a panic, thinking he'd forgotten something, only to find it seconds later and hang up. It was the third phone call in as many minutes, and I was considering not even answering.

"Yes?" I answered.

"_Ness, can you look for the…Jesus, I thought I packed it. I could've sworn I put it in this pocket…oh. Never mind."_

I threw the phone on the seat next to me and turned the car on. Peyton was sleeping peacefully in the backseat, and it was my job to get us both to Carlisle and Esme's to spend the night. I was more than capable of being home by myself, but Edward was still freaked about leaving me home alone, so I indulged him.

It was a short drive, which was good, because I was exhausted. I had just started a job at a diner down the road, and I mostly closed because I was still in school. My senior year. Jacob had graduated in June and now was working full time at the shop and taking business management classes at community college. His uncle planned to leave him the shop when he retired in a few years.

Jacob and I had been seeing less and less of each other due to our hectic schedules, but I think it only strengthened our relationship. The time we spent together wasn't taken for granted. Between school and work and my dance classes, the time we spent together was special.

My phone began buzzing again and I briefly contemplated pulling over and throwing it over the guardrail. I picked it up and pressed it to my ear.

"What now?"

"_Ness?"_ That definitely was not Edward. I pulled the phone away to see Gabrielle's name on the screen.

"Hey Gab, what's up?" Wherever she was, it was incredibly loud. I was trying not to speak too loudly, for fear of waking Peyton. I wondered why she was calling so late, before I remembered that she was in Vegas with some of her friends from Texas.

"_Ness, I gotta tell you something - Ooh, stop that!" _She squealed and I heard a deep male voice and my gut just turned to ice.

"Gab?"

"_Sorry, but - don't touch that! I just wanted to call to tell you…I got married!"_

…the fuck?

"_Ness? You still there?"_

"Gab, I'm gonna have to call you back," I hung up and threw my phone on the floor somewhere. What the hell is wrong with everyone? I pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine. I didn't bother grabbing my phone from off the floor. I carefully extracted Peyton from her car seat and grabbed the book bag off the floor that held a couple of changes of clothes for both of us, and slung her diaper bag over my shoulder.

The porch light was on, and the door swung open before I had the chance to knock. I hugged them both carefully, explaining that I'd really just like to get to bed. I placed Peyton on the bed next to me, tucking her pink blanket around her and placing her yellow duck next to her arm. I carefully climbed under the blanket and was out the second my head hit the pillow.

!#$#!

When I woke in the morning, Peyton was missing from next to me. I yawned as I threw the blanket off me, stretching my arms over my head. I trudged downstairs and plopped myself down on the dining room chair. Peyton waved at me from her highchair, pieces of French toast stuck to her hand. Esme placed a plate of French toast and sausage in front of me while dropping a kiss on the top of my head.

"Your father called me this morning," she remarked as she set to cutting up more French toast for Peyton. "He was worried because you hadn't answered your phone."

I dropped my head into my hands, pushing a sausage link around on my plate. I really wasn't that hungry. "I left my phone in the car after he called me for the third time."

She smirked. "Believe me, dear, I didn't want to answer him either. Your father has a tendency to overreact a bit when it comes to his wife and children."

"Has she had the baby yet?" I wondered. So far, I was the only one to know the name.

Esme shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "No, dear, not yet. At least not when he called me. He said things were moving along well, albeit slowly."

Carlisle interrupted our chatter. He snuck up behind Esme, dropping a kiss on her cheek. "It smells delightful, honey."

"There's a plate for you in the kitchen, dear," she remarked. I so wanted a marriage like theirs. That simple ease with each other that only came with so many years spent together. I could picture Jacob and I like this, gray hairs peaking at our temples. Our children and grandchildren surrounding us. It was all I wanted.

"I just got off the phone with Edward," Carlisle said as he sat down at the table, tucking in to his food. "Bella is set to have the baby very soon. She's at nine centimeters now."

A flutter of butterflies battered my stomach. I was caught between wanting Declan incredibly so, and being scared shitless for his arrival.

"I thought we could visit them after breakfast. I'm sure the baby will be here by then," Carlisle continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil.

"Sounds lovely, dear. I'll go get Peyton dressed for the day," Esme responded. She quickly cleaned Peyton's hands and face and removed her from her highchair, humming a faint tune under her breath.

I sighed as they exited the dining room, listening to Peyton's excited babble. I could hardly imagine having two of her around.

"Something the matter?" Carlisle inquired. He was ever the observant one.

I shook my head and brought my knee up to my chest. "I don't know. I'm just nervous, I guess. Which is stupid, really. I'm not the one having the baby."

He smiled. "Renesmee, it isn't stupid, it's perfectly normal. There are a million and one reasons to be nervous. No one quite knows what the future will hold."

I finished breakfast in relative silence and dressed quickly after. I loaded Peyton into my car, picking up my phone from the floor as I got in the driver's seat. There were five missed calls. Three of them were from Edward, one was from Gab and the last was from Jacob.

There was no point in calling Edward now, it was only about seven in the morning where Gab was and Jacob was probably at work now, so I would call him later. I slid my phone in my pocket and started my car.

Peyton sang to me most of the way to the hospital or said "Uh-oh" because she dropped something and she expected me to reach back and pick it up for her. It was hard to believe she was going to be two in February.

Once we got to the hospital, Carlisle took Peyton and carried her while I led the way to Bella's room. The hospital staff greeted us as we passed, smiling a knowing smile as we finally reached her room. Alice, Jasper, Charlie and Renee were standing around her, cooing at "how cute" he was. They made room for us to stand next to them, and I was greeted by the sight of my baby brother.

He had a tuft of copper hair peeking out from the hospital hat. When his eyes opened for the shortest second, I caught a glimpse of vibrant green; replicas of Edward's. He was bundled snuggly in a blanket and he was…huge. Much bigger than Peyton had been.

Peyton climbed up on the blanket with Bella, resting her head on her shoulder. "Bebe," she whispered, leaning forward to kiss his eye. Cameras clicked, and tears welled up in Bella's eyes. Happy tears.

Edward enveloped me in a hug, and it was then I realized that my own eyes had been growing misty. He kissed me on the forehead and gave me a gentle squeeze on the shoulder.

"Here," Bella murmured, sitting a little more upright. "Do you want to hold him?"

Biting my lip, I nodded quickly. I made my arms into a cradle, leaning forward to transfer him to my arms. He was definitely much heavier than Peyton. But just as cute.

"How much does he weigh?" I murmured, breathing in his downy baby smell. He felt wonderful in my arms. Like I was meant to hold him. He yawned, his little mouth forming a perfect 'o,' before he settled again. His eyes flickered open again, and I ran a finger along his cheek. He was so soft.

"Eight pounds, seventeen ounces," Bella whispered. She looked happy. Beyond happy, really, ecstatic.

Ignoring the clicks of the multiple cameras, I kissed his forehead softly as I whispered, "Happy birthday, Duckling."

!#$#!

**February**

"Jacob, I can't wear this. It's a two-year-old's birthday party, not one of Gab's bonfires."

Jacob sighed and tucked the short dress back into the closet. He looked incredible, as usual. A short sleeve black button down shirt over a pair of distressed jeans. His aviators were in the breast pocket of his shirt, and a pair of black Nike's on his feet.

I was sprawled out across my bed, waiting for him to find something for me. He was still my go-to guy when I needed something to wear. He complained that it 'emasculated' him, but I always thought of him being a gay man trapped in a straight body, so it worked for me. Wasn't my fault he had a great fashion sense.

"Here." A piece of fabric landed over my head, and I reached up to find a sheer yellow button down shirt.

"Um, Jacob? Tank top. This is totally see-through," I pointed out, flattening out the shirt on the bed next to me. Another something landed on my head and I glared at him as he chuckled. It was a dark green tank, and I lifted my shirt over my head to put it on.

"These are cute, why don't you wear these?" He wondered. He stepped out of my closet - _snort, out of the closet _- holding a pair of high-waisted black shorts. I shrugged as he handed them to me, not offering him a response.

"Why do you tell me I have cute clothes? Is there something you're not telling me?" I teased, taking the aviators out of his pocket and putting them on my nose.

He brushed my hair aside, placing a hot open mouthed kiss on my shoulder. "Are you insinuating I'm gay, sweetheart?"

His hand trailed to the hem of my shirt, splaying his fingers over my skin. My muscles contracted at his touch. "N-never."

"Hmm," he hummed against my skin. His teeth nipped my flesh, raising goose bumps. He moved his hand to my shorts, pushing them slowly down my legs. I whimpered with need, rubbing my thighs together for friction. He nudged my foot with his. "Spread for me, baby."

Since Jacob and I spent less time together than usual, the sex was much…different. Better, definitely, not that it had ever been bad. Jacob was much quicker to take initiative. And he informed me that I was much more…responsive. We were much more comfortable with each other. We did some more exploring, that's for sure.

He wasted no time in reaching into my panties, cupping my sex in his hand. I moaned, tipping my head back against his chest. He continued to kiss me all over as he quickly pushed two fingers inside me. He muffled my cries with his free hand as he pushed me towards my release. When he finally added the third finger, flicking his thumb over my clit, I came. Hard. I bit down on his hand, listening to his hiss of pain or pleasure, bucking my hips and riding his fingers.

"That's it, beautiful," he murmured, removing his hand from over my mouth. He slowly withdrew his fingers, and I whimpered at the loss. He turned me around and kissed me passionately before releasing me from his grip. He threw me a wink as he headed for the bathroom and I quickly finished getting dressed.

"What about yours?" I called after him, hearing the water running and assuming he was washing his hands. Or rubbing one out. Never knew with the kid.

He appeared in the doorway, adjusting himself in his jeans. _Not _rubbing one out, then.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll get mine later." He dropped a kiss to the top of my head and exited my bedroom. I shook my head and followed after him, thinking about _later_ and what, exactly, was going to happen.

!#$#!

Two arms grabbed me from behind, and I briefly considered screaming, before I realized they belonged to my best friend. I spun quickly and squealed as I grabbed her in a bone-crushing hug. She went from Vegas to Texas to where-the-fuck ever, dragging her new…_husband _around with her, introducing him to her family and he introducing her to his family. Whatever. I'd really missed her, and I was tired of listening to Jacob bitch about having to have girl's nights with me.

"Nessa-doll, I missed you!" She pulled back and looked me up and down and then brought me right back in, squealing herself, this time. "Oh, sugar, I have to introduce you to Rod. Rod this is my best friend Ness, Ness this is my husband, _Rodrigo_." Extra emphasis on the 'r'.

He stuck his hand out for me to take, and I did so, though I was still skeptical about her marriage. She was just so…young. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Rod said, and I was struck by an accent that was something I'd never heard before. Much different from the southern twang I was used to.

"Rod here is from Maine. We met in Vegas while he was on break, having fun with his friends. Ooh, honey, I could hook you up if you'd like. That is, if you ever grow tired of Jacob," Gab winked at me and smiled. She was too damn…well, she was Gab. What else can I say?

We had spoken at length about the day after I had dropped her call. She told me everything she'd just told me two seconds ago, but I wasn't going to squash her fun. Rod seemed nice enough, and I guess if Gab was happy, then that's all that really mattered to me. Rod wasn't an extremely large person, not the type of guy Gab had hooked up with in the past. He was probably six foot, incredibly tan, black hair, and dark brown eyes. Mostly because he was Puerto Rican.

"Well, Rod, it's a pleasure to meet you as well," I smiled.

"We're pregnant!" Gab exclaimed, and Rod looked down, embarrassed.

I turned to Gab like she had two heads instead of her normally crazy one. "_What?"_

"Well, at least, I_-_I _think _I am. I mean, we have sex, like, all the time. _All _the time, Ness, I ain't kiddin'." She nodded her head very seriously, planting her hands on her hips. "Oh, and doll face, you were right," She held up two fingers. "Nothing like it at all." And then she smiled. "Jacob! I've missed you, hot stuff, come over here and gimme a hug. And who's this cute little guy?"

Jacob approached us slowly, carrying Declan. Ever since Declan was born, Jacob had this fixation with him. It was borderline obsessive, but still extremely cute. I think Jacob spent more time with him than even I did, and Jacob would come over just to play with Declan, even when I wasn't home. It made me think about our future, with our own children.

"Hey Gabs," he smiled and shifted Declan to one hip, snaking his arm around Gab's waist. "And this is Declan, the newest addition to the Cullen family."

"Duckling," I muttered, nudging Jacob.

"Oh, what a little cutie pie, gimme!" She stretched her arms out and took Declan, a wide smile on her face. The image of her as a mother wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. It was her dream, really, to have a million kids and be a stay at home mom while her husband worked to support the family.

"Jake, where are Edward and Bella? And Peyton?" I looked behind us at the backyard full of family and friends, trying to spot my parents or the birthday girl.

"Ah, well, Peyton was throwing a temper tantrum so Edward took her inside and Bella is around here somewhere, making small talk and trying to stall the cake process."

Peyton was a fucking firecracker, that one. I could hardly imagine her in her teen years. Made me glad Jacob and I planned on moving in together soon. Well, not _soon _soon, but soon enough. But Peyton wasn't afraid to voice her opinion about anything. Earlier this morning she had screamed for a good fifteen minutes because she didn't like the sippy cup Bella had given her. She was still a sweetheart, though. Just as long as you didn't piss her off.

"I think they actually want to start cake soon, so we should probably head on over there now," Jacob took my hand in his and led the way to the back deck. There were small children everywhere, running around like children normally do. Camden threw a handful of sand at Cadence, and now Em was punishing the pouting child, looking oddly out of character. Then he ruffled Cam's hair and kissed his cheek, picking him up to watch Peyton blow out her candles.

Peyton stood on top of the picnic table, Edward and Bella behind her, each with a hand on her somewhere. Peyton was definitely not afraid of heights, and it was terrifying. We all sang Happy Birthday and watched her blow out the candles. And then Peyton just sorta…reached in there and grabbed some cake and shoved it in her face.

I rolled my eyes. Some things just never change.

!#$#!

**March**

A soft knock on the door interrupted the flow of words. I had one last paper due before the end of the school year, and as usual, I procrastinated to the point where I could focus on nothing else but the paper. I curled my fingers into fists and sat back in my chair with a huff.

"Come in," I said quietly, spinning in my desk chair to face the door.

Edward entered, followed by Bella, both looking more than a little uncomfortable. Bella shut the door behind her and looked to Edward. Both took a seat on the edge of my bed.

Edward cleared his throat, brow furrowed. "I'm not entirely sure how to start this." He pulled an envelope from his pocket and ran his fingers over it, attempting to smooth out the wrinkles. He held it out to me. "This is yours."

I took the envelope from him, noticing my name scrawled neatly on the front of it. I looked to them in confusion, but they just nodded, encouraging me to open it. I turned it over and pulled out a piece of notebook paper folded three times.

_My dearest Renesmee,_

_It's been almost sixteen years since I last saw you. How are you, my sunshine? Well, I hope. Edward and Bella seem like such lovely people. I know you will be loved._

My hand went to my mouth, tears blurred my vision. "What is this?"

"Read, and then we'll explain."

_It had never been my intention to leave you. Your father, yes, but never you. But you must understand how fragile I had been. I was fearful for your unborn brother. Thomas is his name. He reminds me of you. Your father was a man I no longer recognized. I felt the best thing to do was to leave him. I planned to come back for you, but…_

_No, there should be no 'buts.' I know I put you in harm's way, and no amount of apologizing will ever make up for that. I know that. What I did is something I will live to regret. _

_That is why I've agreed to give over my parental rights. I could not do right by you. I do not deserve to call you my daughter. I know they will care for you, Renesmee. I know they will love you as I do. I know they will do right by you. _

_I hope you can one day forgive me, although I do not blame you if you cannot. All I wish is for you to be happy. I do love you, Renesmee. More than my actions have led you to believe. _

_Love always,_

_Anna_

With trembling fingers, I pushed the letter back into the envelope, my teary gaze turning to my parents.

"When we adopted you, you had told us that your mother passed. We assumed all we needed was your father's signature, but after getting his, we learned that your mother wasn't dead. She was very much alive," Edward's gaze was sorrowful, full of regret.

"W-why…didn't you tell me?" I whispered.

He gripped his hair in his hand, pained. "Your mother asked us not to. She said it wasn't fair to you. She gave us that letter and told us to give it to you when you turned eighteen. She said if you still wanted to know her then, she wouldn't fight it. But not before then.

"She signed over her parental rights to you. We didn't tell you she was still alive, because we thought it would make things hard for you. We should have given you the choice, Ness, we're sorry."

I swiped the tears away from my cheeks, standing from my chair. I grabbed them both around the neck, hugging them close. I kissed them both on the cheek. "Thank you."

!#$#!

The odds of her living at an address that was nine years old were slim, I knew that. But it didn't stop the pang of sadness form settling deep in my chest.

After hugging Edward and Bella, I got in my car and drove. There had been an address on the envelope, where she had been living at the time of my adoption. I hoped to see her, just one last time. But she was nowhere in sight.

The house belonged to a family now. A family with small children, all gathered around the dinner table. I watched them all take their respective places at the table, link their hands in prayer. And I thanked my mother, wherever she may be, for giving me that. A family. One that loved me enough to deal with the pieces that had been broken for a long time.

Wiping away the last of my tears, I started my car and headed home to my parents.

!#$#!

**June**

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen."

This was it. The end of my high school career, and the beginning of the rest of my life. I didn't really understand what the big deal was. This tiny little piece of paper set me up for the rest of my life. Okay, yeah, I know it symbolizes all my years of hard work and dedication, and I'm damn proud of myself for graduating Suma Cum Laude. But the whole graduation ceremony, to me, seems kind of pointless. Not that I'd ever tell my family.

Because they were all here. In the stands, on their feet, cheering and yelling, clapping and whistling like a bunch of idiots that want to get thrown out of the whole thing. Of course Jake was here, too. Declan was on his shoulders, clapping along with the rest of them - it was his new favorite thing. The clapping. The flush on my cheeks couldn't be hidden.

I was enveloped in a sea of hugs the second the ceremony was over. We had done the switching of the tassel, the presenting of our class and some had thrown their hats up. Cameras were clicking all around me as groups of friends posed for pictures, tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. Todd and Bethany were two of them, both of their hands on her protruding stomach. Her eyes found mine and she smiled. I returned it in kind as Jacob turned my face for a searing kiss.

We made our way through the sea of red and black gowns, of hugging parents and squealing teens to our cars. Jacob and I rode on his motorcycle – much to my parent's dismay – while the rest stuck their children in their respective vehicles.

Jacob and I beat the rest of them to Esme and Carlisle's house, where we had decided to celebrate because it's the biggest house. Before long, the driveway is packed with cars and children are running through the large yard to get to the back where the most incredible swing set resides.

Jacob pulled me aside later that day, after the sun had begun to dip below the horizon. The sky was lit with oranges and pinks, the clouds resembling tufts of cotton candy. We sat down on the swings, not moving, rather just enjoying each other's company. Our hands were entwined between us, Jacob playing with my fingers, and a peaceful smile lit up my face.

"Hey Ness?" Jacob's voice was soft, almost frightened, and I instinctively turned my head in his direction. He pulled his hand away from mine, and I looked down, gasping. There, on my ring finger, in front of the promise ring he had given me sat a beautiful diamond ring.

"Will you marry me?" He was suddenly down on one knee, my left hand in his, but none of that mattered to me. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to me.

I opened the envelope with shaking fingers, finding two plane tickets to Las Vegas, Nevada tucked inside. A smile took over my face then, and I was in his arms before he could blink.

"Yes," I whispered. "Yes, yes, yes."

"We can go," kiss, "whenever you want," kiss, "the tickets are good until –oh God" kiss, "December."

Panting, I pulled away. "Soon," I whispered. "As soon as possible."

!#$#!

**July**

Jacob crawled over me; his shirt unbuttoned and tie hanging loose around his neck. His lips danced with an ever-present smile, but I couldn't say that mine held one any differently. We had just gotten _married _for God's sake, and we hadn't told a soul.

It wasn't the typical Vegas wedding. Well, okay, I suppose it was. But we didn't get the certificate through a drive-thru and we hadn't been married by Elvis. It had all been very tasteful, if not quiet.

We had discussed for the rest of June when the perfect time to leave would be. We had also decided that this was just for us, and in a few years we'd have a real marriage, the big shebang for everyone else. Until then, this would have to do, and when we came back from Vegas we'd begin the hunt for our house.

"Hello Mrs. Black," he murmured, placing an open mouthed kiss on my exposed neck.

I smiled wide, so happy to hear that. "Actually I was thinking I would hyphenate my name. Reed-Cullen-Black has a certain ring to it, don't you think?"

He growled low in his throat, nipping at my collarbone. "I think you're mine and that the only name I want you to carry is _mine."_

He punctuated his words with a thrust of his hips, his erection finding friction against my bare thigh.

"Hmm," I moaned, "so demanding."

He chuckled, his eyes alight with such happiness that my heart swelled to bursting. "You love it."

"I love you," I whispered, capturing his lips with my own.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that. I love you, too, Ness."

"Well, Jacob Black, you have many, many years to hear me tell you I love you. And I promise I will tell you every day how much I love you. Even when we fight, even when we cry. Even when I get sick of seeing your face day after day after day…" he tickled me then, and I let out an incredibly girlish, contented giggle, "I'm kidding. I promise to tell you every day how much I love you."

!#$#!

**August**

"Jacob Black, I hate you!"

"_Honey, I just told you I put in an offer for that house you loved, and you tell me you hate me?" _He chuckled at me, but I only crossed my arms and sat heavily in a booth. Work was slow, so my boss had let me go early. Not wanting to go home just yet, I invited Gabs up for dinner to catch up with my best friend.

"I wanted to be there," I muttered petulantly, waving to Gabs out the window as she climbed out of her Jeep Commander.

The noise on his end dimmed, and I could only assume he walked out of the garage into the office to escape some of the noise. _"I'm sorry sweetheart, I didn't…" _his voice trailed off and I felt bad hearing the remorse in his voice. It wasn't really that big of a deal. _"I swear I'll make it up to princess. Cross my heart and hope to die."_

"No Jacob, it's alright. I overreacted just a little. I promise I'm not upset at you," Gabs sat down opposite me, flashing me her winning smile. I told Jacob I would call him back later, told him I loved him, and hung up.

"Lovers quarrel?" Gabs jested, taking a sip of her chocolate milkshake.

I rolled my eyes. "No, I was just upset that he put in an offer on a house without me. Nothing big, I'm honestly not that mad."

"Mmhmm," she hummed noncommittally. "So, 'member how I told you I've been feelin' a little funny lately? Moody and cryin a lot and eatin' everything from here to Texas?"

I nodded for her to continue, cupping my mug of coffee in my hands. The smile that presented its self on Gab's face was beatific.

"Well, Rod, bein' the sweet man that he is, wanted me to see a doctor. Turns out we're pregnant. For real this time."

"Gabs!" I jumped out of my seat to congratulate her, wrapping my arms tight around her and squeezing, feeling tears prick my eyes in happiness.

She sat back, swiping at the moisture in her eyes. "Ack, these damn hormones. Rod doesn't complain, 'cause it makes me hornier than a jack rabbit, but I can't stand these damn cryin' jags. And all the fuckin' anger makes me wanna pop this kid out now."

I stifled a laugh at her kitten anger, not wanting to take the brunt of it.

"Oh, and Rod and I wanted to know if you and hot stuff would be the godparents for this little 'un."

I sat baffled by her offhanded remark. She acted as though the request was no big deal, though I knew it was a huge responsibility. Okay, maybe not, but still.

I reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "Jacob and I would be honored, Gabs."

She held a hand up and took a deep breath, collecting herself. Then she smiled and asked, "Enough of this cryin' shit. Can we get some food now?"

I just smiled and shook my head, standing up to place our order at the counter.

"Extra cheese on those fries!" Gabs hollered, and I chuckled. It was so good to have her in my life.

!#$#!

I pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss. He was so close to being in me, and I had just remembered, "Condom."

His face took on that of a petulant child, and I would have laughed if I wasn't so incredibly turned on at the moment.

"But _why? _We're married now, we don't need birth control," he whined. He dropped his head to my neck, trying to distract me with his hot kisses and wicked mouth. But this I wouldn't budge on.

"Jacob Black, so help me God…." I rolled away from him, sitting on the edge of the bed. His hands automatically went to my back, massaging me in the most wicked of ways. "Just because we're married does not mean we are ready to have children. We're only eighteen and nineteen years old for crying out loud. Neither of us have stable jobs, we're both in school. Do you honestly think having a child now is a good idea?"

He pouted still, resting his chin on my shoulder. "I just wanna have babies with you."

I reached back and threaded my fingers through his hair. "And we will Jacob, I promise you that. But now is not a good time; you know that."

He sighed heavily against my back, and I could only guess where his mind had gone: to his father. He had had a stroke a few weeks back and the doctors didn't see him making a full recovery from it. In fact, they didn't think he had much longer to live at all. It had been more than a little stressful for Jacob.

"I really wanted my dad to be able to see all of his grandchildren, you know?" He sniffled quietly, trying to hide how upset this all made him, but I knew him better than that. I turned in his arms, straddling his naked thighs.

I brushed the hair off his forehead, resting my own against his. "You know your father will always be with us wherever we go. Because he lives in our hearts Jacob. Remember when you told me that? About Cam and Jul? Your father will watch over us every day and he will always be proud of the man you will be. And he will love our children just as much as he loves you."

Silent tears fell down his face, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting them fall on my skin and hoping to take some of his pain away. His eyes pleaded with me for that one connection we lacked. And although I was nervous about what could happen later, I let him slip inside me, completely bare for the first time.

!#$#!

**September**

I stood inside the entryway, sobbing silently. It was hard to imagine that this house was actually _ours. _We now had a mortgage and utility bills. Although my parents and the rest of my family all offered to help in any way possible, this seemed to be a bigger undertaking than I had imagined.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's the matter?" Jacob snatched me up from behind, slowly rocking me from side to side to hopefully ebb the fall of my tears.

"The walls are blue," I sobbed loudly, turning in his arms to hug him more tightly to myself.

His hands never ceased in rubbing my back, but I could feel his confusion. "It's okay, we can paint the walls."

"No," I wailed. I stepped back from him, scrubbing my hand down my face to rid it of the itchy feeling that came with crying. "Blue is a cold color. Our house is cold. What will people think?"

"Sweetheart, people will understand that we just moved in. They'll know why our walls are blue," my tears must have confused him, because although I was done with the days of hiding my emotions from everyone, I was never much of a crier. And lately, stupid things, like the color on the walls, sent me into hysterics.

I sniffled unattractively, looking up at him. "You think so?" He brushed the hair away from my eyes, planted a kiss on my forehead.

"I know so."

!#$#!

I stood in the open door way watching Jacob scribble notes in a notebook. A textbook was open on the table in front of him, his hand was in his hair, and his reading glasses were perched on his nose.

"I know you're watching me," he murmured, flicking his gaze between the book and his notes.

I pushed away from the wall and he sat back in his chair, taking his glasses off and setting them on the table. I sat sideways on his lap, letting him wrap his arms around my torso. I entwined our fingers together, planting a kiss on top of his head.

"What's on your mind, beautiful?" It seemed Jacob could read even my silence.

I drew in a deep breath, holding it for a beat before I let it out soundlessly. "Jacob, I…I think I might be pregnant."

His arms squeezed me the slightest bit tighter. "A-are you sure?"

I did a combination of a nod, shrug and head shake. "I _think _so. I bought a pregnancy test the other day, but with the way things were going with your dad I…I didn't want to spring it on you like that. Will you…will you stay with me when I take the test?"

Jacob's dad had entered a coma in the past week, and the doctors only gave him till the end of the week. Jacob was devastated, of course, and it wasn't like it was really in our budget to plan a funeral.

He sniffled quietly. "Yeah baby, of course I'll stay with you."

He followed me to the bathroom, but didn't actually come in with me. He waited till the peeing part was over, and then we sat on the edge of the bathtub together, quietly reassuring each other that no matter what happened, at least we would be together.

At the end of the ten minutes, the house phone rang, and Jacob gave me a pleading glance. I nodded in understanding and watched his back as he left. Taking a deep breath, and unable to wait any longer, I glanced at the stick and my heart sank. There was just one line: negative.

Jacob took that moment to appear in the bathroom doorway, eyes rimmed in red and the phone still in his grasp. I jumped at the sight of him, throwing myself at him, trying somehow to take away the look on his face. He didn't have to say the words for me to know that his father hadn't made it.

Still, he uttered them, so quietly and so brokenly that he sounded like the child I had once known. "He's gone."

!#$#!

**October**

It seemed a bit morbid to me that Jacob had asked to go to the cemetery for his birthday. If I hadn't known him like I did I would've been a little freaked out by it, but he needed it. It was the first birthday he would spend without both of his parents, and that was difficult for anyone.

Our gloved hands were clasped tightly together, a single link that had become almost unconscious to the both of us. His tears had long ago subsided, but he still sniffled now and then and it really tugged at my heart strings to see my strong man so incredibly broken.

With a final deep breath, he turned to me. I squeezed his hand once and he returned the gesture. Without words spoken, we turned away from the grave marker, making our way back to Jacob's truck.

"Thank you for coming with me," he murmured quietly, opening the passenger door for me.

I stepped up on the step bar, grabbed his face in my hands and kissed him hard. "Jacob Theodore Black, you should know by now that I would follow you to the ends of the Earth. I love you."

His smile was radiant, even though it was sad. "I love you, too. Let's go home."

Home sounded perfectly perfect.

* * *

Yaaay! One more epilogue, a look into the future, and Wings will finally be done. It's been such a great journey, with many ups and downs, but I think I'm ready to move on to bigger and better things - like college *gulp*. Huge thanks to Megan, as usual. She really is my rock. (I still owe her those cookies). And to everyone who's stuck around to read this story, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It means the world to me.  
So, reviews are lovely. I love all of you,  
Kelly


	18. Epilogue 2 of 2

**Her Wings Set Her Free**

Epilogue 2/2

"For every beginning, there exists an ending. And nothing can stop that ending from coming." - Unknown

**Five Years Later - October**

**Renesmee's POV**

Jacob's hands snaked around my waist, resting his hands on my still flat stomach. Soon, it would be growing with the proof of our love – a fact that made Jacob ecstatic; near giddy with joy.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," I whispered, turning in his arms to kiss him soundly, greasy fingers be damned.

"Mm," he groaned softly, kissing my forehead gently. "The best."

I had waited rather impatiently for him to come home that day. I'd known for almost a week now that I was pregnant, and though I hated to be cliché, I knew the best gift to him would be finding out he was going to be a father. I'd presented him with a box, its contents a pair of the smallest Converse shoes I had ever seen. And his face had lit up.

Jacob had begged and pleaded with me from the day I had said 'I do.' Jacob wanted children, and he wanted them now. I had told him that we were too young, that we should enjoy our newlywed status as long as possible. Doctors had informed me that even if I did get pregnant, it would be unwise for me to deliver naturally due to my fragile heart.

Maybe we were stupid. I mean, we were still so young. Still so newly married – according to everyone that really mattered. All I knew was that I wanted that smile to be on Jacob's face for the rest of our lives together.

"Now when do I get my _real _present?" He inquired seductively, his plump bottom lip tucked between his teeth, his thigh between mine.

"Now," I breathed huskily. "Right now."

!#$#!

**Three Months Later**

"So," Dr. Hinkle sighed, moving the wand around my newly round stomach. He clicked a few buttons and pointed to a blob on the screen. "Here we have one little bean. And…oh. Here's the second."

The smile fell from my face, his words confusing me. "What do you mean?"

Jacob and I exchanged glances. The fear in his eyes was so loud; it felt like he was screaming at me.

"You're having twins, Mrs. Black. You knew this was a possibility given Jacob's family history…Mr. Black, are you alright? You're looking a little faint."

Jacob shook his head, standing abruptly. The gesture brought tears to my eyes, but this didn't surprise me. Everything brought tears to my eyes lately.

He swallowed hard twice, tugging uncomfortably at the collar of his leather jacket. "I-I just need some air."

He lunged for the door, not bothering to close it behind him. He walked briskly down the corridor, throwing another door open in his haste, and did not stop beyond that.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Black?" Dr. Hinkle wondered. He handed me a few tissues to clean the goop off my stomach, and sat down quietly in his swivel chair.

I nodded my head quickly, brushing the tears off my cheeks. I pulled my shirt down over my belly and brought my legs down.

"He-He's just in shock, that's all," hiccups made my words come out shakier than I had intended.

"That isn't what I asked, Renesmee. Are _you _alright?"His eyes were clouded with concern, and something inside of me ached. He looked like Edward had after one of my many nightmares.

My breath left me in a shaky puff of air, and I tried my hardest to place a smile on my face. "Yes, Doctor, I'll be just fine."

He nodded slowly, not really believing me, but not really having a choice. "Well then. You'll need to rest as much as possible and be sure you're eating plenty. You are eating for three, after all. If there is anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to call. And be sure to extend that offer to Jacob as well."

I nodded my head and let the doctor help me down from the table. I felt his stare on me as I made the trek down the corridor, hitting the button on the elevator to take me back downstairs. I slipped my arms through my trench coat and stepped inside the elevator, letting it take me back to ground level.

!#$#!

"I don't understand what the problem is, Jacob. You wanted babies! You wanted me pregnant so badly; from the wedding in Vegas, to the wedding a year ago. Now I'm pregnant, and you can't deal with it? I don't understand!"

"_One _baby! I wanted one baby at a _Goddamned time! _I don't know how to handle twins! We have to do something, Ness. We have to-to fix this somehow. We can't…I can't…"

His ramblings faded out and his legs gave out from under him. I stood on the opposite side of the room, wondering who this strange man was. Surely this was not my Jacob. This man…no, I had never seen this man before.

"Maybe I should leave," the thought was a whisper, but in the silence of the room, it was like a gunshot. His head snapped in my direction, his eyes black as midnight.

He stood slowly, his steps sluggish. "That's not what I want. I just need t-time to think, Ness. Please…please don't leave, I can't…I can't do this without you."

I smiled sadly and took steps towards him. I cupped his face in my palm and kissed him chastely, just once. "I think we both need time to think. I'll go spend some time with my parents. You can stay here…or leave. Spend some time with your friends, Jacob. Just think."

I watched his shoulders slump in resignation before I turned and left the room. I only packed a bag for one night, hoping that was all he needed, before I told him I loved him and got in my car.

!#$#!

When I got to my parent's house, I was greeted by Declan. His face was as bright as the sun as he yanked the door out of the way.

"Nessa!" he crowed, launching himself at me. I caught him under the arms and hoisted him up around my hip.

"Ducky, you're getting so big," I exclaimed sadly, noticing the changes in him. Things I should know, but didn't.

Bella came around the corner then, her mouth set in a scowl. "Declan Robert, what have I told you about opening the door without me or daddy? That is a very dangerous thing to do; I don't care who they say they are, do you understand me?"

Ducky nodded sadly, extending his arms to her. Her face relaxed and she held him tightly. "I just worry about you, baby."

Such a momma's boy, that one was. "Why don't we go finish our snack, okay?"

Declan's face lit up and he was out of her arms and back in the kitchen in a flash. Bella's eyes turned to me, and she immediately pulled me into her arms. The tears that had never seemed to stop coming wouldn't show themselves now.

"Oh, sweetheart, what is it? What's wrong?" She pulled me into the kitchen, taking the bag from my arm. She set a mug of hot cocoa in front of me and a few fresh chocolate chip cookies before taking the seat next to me.

"Jacob just…he just freaked out," I muttered, swirling a cookie in the hot drink. She used to make this all the time for me, and we'd sit on chairs in the backyard at night watching the waves and the stars. "We had our ultrasound today and the doctor told us we were having twins, and he just…he couldn't deal with it. He said we needed to fix it somehow!"

"Twins are a big responsibility, Nessie. I could understand why he would be a little worried…but he said you needed to fix it? Fix it how?"

I shrugged sadly, not knowing myself. My eyes filled with tears and a whimper escaped my lips. "I just want my Jacob back."

!#$#!

**Jacob's POV**

I knocked quietly on the front door, not wanting to wake any sleeping children inside or anything like that. Rod answered the door, a near-asleep one year old on his hip. Gemma was their third, following Kenley and Maci. They were already talking about having another, though Kenley was only four and Maci just nearing three.

Rod nodded me inside, edging me in the direction of the kitchen. Gabs appeared and kissed me softly on the cheek before she extracted Gemma from Rod's arms. The little girl gave a whine of protest, but quickly attached herself to her mother, going back to her drowsy state.

Rod opened the fridge, glanced around, and looked at me. "Want a beer?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

He slid me an unopened bottle and took the seat across from me, studying me silently. Rod and I had grown close in the near six years I had known him. He worked part time for me at the shop, though he called it volunteer work. I still paid him regularly, and well. He was a nice guy, but very observant. I wasn't so sure he was the best person to come to now.

"So what's on your mind, Black?" He took a swig of his beer and set it back down, his gaze piercing.

I scrubbed a hand over my face, taking a slow sip of my beer, I leveled his stare. "I found out today that Ness is having twins."

His face registered no shock, but he didn't make a move to speak. He just continued to stare, making me the slightest bit uncomfortable. "I…I don't know what to do."

He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "There's not much you can do, is there, Jacob?"

I shook my head, looking out the window to my left. "I don't fucking know how to take care of twins. One baby, sure, no problem. But twins…it's like two of everything, all the time. What if I don't give one enough attention? What if I love one more than the other? I don't know how to do this."

Rod chuckled softly. "Jacob, there's no way that you could love one child more than another. They are all a part of you, and I promise you that the second you see their faces, they'll have your heart just as much as Ness does. Don't worry about the future. I know that sounds dumb, but it's the best way to deal with it. Take it one day at a time, and just love them as best you know how. That's all babies really need. They don't care how much money you make or what kind of car you drive. They just need you."

"When did you get so fucking wise?"

He smirked. "The day I met my wife."

!#$#!

**Renesmee's POV**

The house was dark when I returned. Both Bella and Edward had urged me to go home and talk things out with Jacob. But seeing the house dark, with no sign of him, made my heart sink to my stomach.

I set my things down on the couch and unwrapped the scarf from around my neck. I took the trench coat off my shoulders and toed my shoes off my feet. After hanging my things up in the closet, I made my way to what would soon be our nursery.

That was where I found him. He was seated in the rocking chair in the corner, hugging a pink stuffed bunny to his chest and rocking slowly. His eyes flickered towards my face, and everything in me urged me forward, towards the arms that were my home.

He beckoned me forward, and I only hesitated for a moment before I was moving towards him. He pulled me down on his lap, splaying his hands over my stomach. He shook his head sadly. "I'm so sorry, Ness. I didn't mean it, any of it."

I hushed him quietly, cupping his face in my hands. "It's alright, Jacob. I forgive you."

What started as a gentle kiss soon became a frantic need for something more. I stood and he followed, hands under my shirt, tugging it upwards. He dropped to his knees in front of me, kisses on my stomach. Tears blurred my vision and I blinked them away rapidly, wanting to burn this memory into my brain.

He tugged my jeans down my hips, his lips kissing a trail all the way down. I sank down on my knees, trapping his face in my hands, kissing him hungrily. His shirt was next to go, followed soon after by his jeans. I straddled his thighs, our lips still firmly attached.

"I love you so much," he breathed. "And our babies."

We stripped the remainder of our clothes from our bodies, and I straddled his hips once more, pushing him inside of me slowly. Our movements were slow and gentle, our breathe tangling between us. My fingers wove their way into his hair as his lips made trails over my body.

I sighed as I came, rocking slowly. I rested my head on his shoulder and held him tight as he followed me. We made a bed of blankets on the floor, and stayed up half the night talking of our children. The love in his voice brought tears to my eyes more times than I could count. He just smiled and wiped them away and told me he couldn't wait to meet our babies.

!#$#!

**Five Months Later – Early June**

"They're so beautiful," Jacob whispered quietly. In his arms laid our first born, Abigail Kennedy. She had my hair and Jacob's complexion, her lips in a small pout as she slept peacefully. In my arms was Laney Vienna, identical to her big sister. They had both come screaming into the world at eight this morning. Family had trickled in and out. Declan squealed in delight when he saw them, and hadn't stopped staring at them since. He was very upset when Edward and Bella pulled him away to get something to eat.

Even Peyton, who had become the biggest princess I had ever known, was quite taken with our girls.

"You did well, Ness," Jacob smiled brightly at me, and I did my best to return the gesture. In truth, I was absolutely exhausted. Just a few hours after I had delivered, the nurse was coming in to ask if I wanted to breast feed or bottle feed, if I wanted to change their diapers, if I wanted to hold them. I was feeling just the slightest bit overwhelmed.

"The doctors did most of the work," I told him lightly. Following doctor's advice, we had planned a C-section. Even that was rough on my body, and he said I would be lethargic for a few days following. I was sore all over, but I was so happy to finally have our girls here with us.

Finally, my family was complete.

!#$#!

**Eight Years Later**

I smoothed down my dress, my hair, any surface on my body that looked like it might be unkempt. I was so damn nervous.

"Ness, relax. It's gonna be okay," Jacob was doing his best to soothe me, but I could see that he was nervous, too.

We had been called for a meeting with the principal of our kid's school. Apparently it had something to do with Brooklyn, and that was enough to worry us.

As we took our seats across from the intimidating woman, a sinking feeling began in the pit of my stomach.

"Mr. and Mrs. Black, thank you for coming down to see me today. I would like to discuss with you, your daughter Brooklyn. We're concerned about her learning abilities."

"What exactly mean, her 'learning abilities?'" Jacob wondered.

The woman smiled patiently at him, as though she were dealing with our five year old and not a fully grown man. "She doesn't seem to learn in the same capacity as the other children in her class. She isn't even on par with her twin brother. This is a concern for us."

I shook my head. "She learns differently from the other children? I don't see how this is a concern."

"Mrs. Black, we have very high expectations at this school. I would suggest putting Brooklyn into a special needs class, or perhaps having her repeat kindergarten."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Ness," Jacob admonished me quietly, squeezing my hand.

"Sorry, but what the fuck? I don't see how either of those options benefits my daughter. She is neither special needs nor stupid. The best option would be for more individualized attention given to her."

"Mrs. Black, we cannot slow down the class for one child, nor can we give her more attention than any other student."

I stood slowly, my temper flaring. I gave the most polite smile I could muster. "Well, then it would sure be a shame to continue paying the hefty tuition we've been dolling out each year. Perhaps a public school would be more accommodating to all of our children. We'll just collect them and be out of your hair. You'll be expecting transfer notices soon."

Jacob did his best to conceal his laughter, but was failing miserably. He shook the wretched woman's hand and turned for the door. He paused just outside and pulled me in for a firey kiss. "Damn, that was hot."

I rolled my eyes. He was seriously such a man.

We spent the next few minutes collecting our children from their various classrooms. I was sort of sad to see their uniforms go, because they always looked so damn cute. Especially Everett, with his little vest and tie.

"Momma, where we goin'?" Everett wondered, holding tightly to my hand and his sisters'. He was incredibly protective of his twin, Brooklyn, and damn if it wasn't the cutest thing I'd ever seen. Jacob had Abby and Laney with him, who both seemed incredibly happy to be out of school.

"Well, baby, I thought we could all go to lunch. How does that sound?"

He jumped a little, crowing out an excited, "Yes!"

The kids all filed into out SUV, finding their respective booster seats and strapping themselves in. Jacob and I were silent on the drive to the restaurant, both lost in our respective thoughts. The children chattered on happily in the back, playing silly car games and telling secrets. I was blessed with the most amazing family.

We pulled into the McDonald's parking lot and I swear all of our children screamed in unison. They knew eating out was a special occasion, and especially McDonald's. In truth, it was absolutely horrible for them, and I was the one to moderate it. I had a sneaking suspicion that Jacob didn't really follow my rule.

We ordered and sat down. Abigail and Laney took seats next to each other and Jacob and I did the same. Everett opted to sit on my lap, and Brooklyn took up residence on Jacob's leg. When they finished, they all ran for the play land; all except Brooklyn, who opted to stay with us and play with her new happy meal toy.

In truth, Jacob and I had known for quite some time that Brooky was different from her siblings. We tried really hard not to compare our children to one another, but it didn't always happen. It wasn't that she was slow, not at all. She just learned differently than her peers. It didn't require a different classroom or anything special like that. She just needed someone to explain things to her differently.

"Momma?" she asked quietly, her big brown eyes fixed on my face.

"Yeah, baby?" I reached across the table and tucked a piece of hair back under her headband.

"Are we gon' go back to skewl?" She pulled Jacob's tie in front of her, averting her eyes from mine. Jacob and I exchanged glances across the table.

"Why do you ask, sweetheart?" Jacob wondered gently.

"'Cus sometimes the kids are not bery nice to me. And den Evewett tells dem to weave me awone."

In that moment, I swear my heart broke. My poor baby. "No, Brooky, you're not going back to that school. We're gonna find a new school for you, where the kids don't make fun of you. I promise."

She nodded, snuggling into Jacob's chest.

The car ride home was silent. Brooklyn and Everett dozed in the backseat and both Abby and Laney were reading a book. Jacob and I each carried a sleeping child inside, removing shoes and coats and such before laying them in bed.

We stood outside the doorway and watched them sleep. My head on his chest, and his arms securely around me, I couldn't imagine how life could be much more perfect.

"How about we try for another one?"

I snorted and slapped his chest. "You must be out of your mind."

But he just smiled. And nothing had ever been more perfect.

* * *

Well, this is it. It's been a very long and incredible journey. Many ups and downs, but I'm very happy to finally be checking the complete box for this story. I hope to beging working on my other stories soon, but I make no promises on the time. Many thanks to Megan for everything you've done. If this is the end, well, I wish you the best.

Songs for this chapter:

Hope for Now - City & Colour  
Lost! - Coldplay  
White Blank Page - Mumford and Sons

Much love,  
Kelly


End file.
